Feb 17 2008
Pearlsides – a row of pearls in the deep
This fish is not bigger than your little finger. It lives for only 3 years and its maximum length is 8 cm. The pearlside (Maurolicus muelleri) is not a threatened nor a rare fish but you may not have seen it before. This fish is found on waters down to 1500 meters depth. If you study the photo above you will see a “row of pearls” between the jaws and the anal fins.
Its seize makes it impossible to catch with a fishing rod or a net, and most species are therefore caught with fine-meshed trawl. The photo below shows three pearlsides and a blue withing.
To determine the age of the fish, scientists use otholits (small, bony stones in the brain of the fish). The otholits of a pearlside is of course very small. Below you see what the otholits look like through a mircoscope. Growth lines in the otholits tells how many summers and winters (years) the fish has lived.
I wrote a post about your blog in newzaroundus .. you can visit it here … http://newzaroundus.blogspot.com/2008/02/uniquely-fishy-blog.html
Hope it’s ok.
Amazing silver on those fish. Nature is breathtaking.
A great post, as usual – and I love the information about the otholits, I’d never heard of those!
I’m surprised the pearlside hasn’t made it into the saltwater aquarium trade. I only have fresh-water/tropical tanks, but I’d love some shiny silvery pearls like that in my community tank!
Good idea Mo! The trawler should have an extra tank on board where they could keep the pearlsides. The seize of the fish is perfect for an aquarium.
Nature is boundless!
Caught some (1-2kgs) of these mesopelagic fish while surveying blue whiting west of Ireland. They indeed keep an amazing silver color. As per someones comment above, i doubt they would survive in a trawl to be sold for the aquarium trade.
Hi
I like your post.mostly that How to determine the age of that small silver fish.that’s amazing..you really done good job..we will wait for extra amazing thing.keep it up.
Thanks & regards
rosy