Maurolicus is an oceanic ray-finned fish genus which belongs in the marine hatchetfish family Sternoptychidae. They are commonly known as pearlsides, but the brilliant pearlside is the related Argyripnus iridescens. Occasionally, "bristle-mouth fishes" is used as a common name, but that usually refers to the genus Argyripnus or the family Gonostomatidae.
Fossils of pearlsides are known from the Miocene.
Species
There are currently 15 recognized species in this genus:
- Maurolicus amethystinopunctatus <small>Cocco, 1838</small>
- Maurolicus australis <small>Hector, 1875</small> (pennant pearlside)
- Maurolicus breviculus <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small>
- Maurolicus imperatorius <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small> (Emperor seamount lightfish)
- Maurolicus inventionis <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small>
- Maurolicus japonicus <small>Ishikawa, 1915</small> (North Pacific lightfish)
- Maurolicus javanicus <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small> (Javan pearlside)
- Maurolicus kornilovorum <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small>
- Maurolicus mucronatus <small>Klunzinger, 1871</small>
- Maurolicus muelleri <small>(J. F. Gmelin, 1789)</small> (Silvery lightfish, Mueller's pearlside, Mueller's bristle-mouth fish)
- Maurolicus parvipinnis <small>Vaillant, 1888</small>
- Maurolicus rudjakovi <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small>
- Maurolicus stehmanni <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1996</small>
- Maurolicus walvisensis <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small>
- Maurolicus weitzmani <small>Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993</small> (Atlantic pearlside, Weitzman's pearlside)
References