{{Short description|Genus of fishes}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Carapus acus.jpg | image_caption = Pearlfish ''(C. acus)'' | image2 = Carapus dubius.jpg | image2_caption = Pacific Pearlfish ''(C. dubius)'' | taxon = Carapus | authority = Rafinesque, 1810 | type_species = ''Gymnotus acus'' | type_species_authority = Brünnich, 1768<ref name = CoF>{{Cof record|genid=105|title=''Carapus''|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref> | synonyms = *''Diaphasia'' <small>Lowe, 1843</small> *''Disparichthys'' <small>Herre, 1935</small> *''Helminthodes'' <small>Gill 1864</small> *''Lefroyia'' <small>J. M. Jones, 1874</small> *''Leptofierasfer'' <small>Meek & Hildebrand, 1928</small> *''Pirellinus'' <small>Whitley, 1928</small> *''Porobronchus'' <small>Kaup, 1860</small> *''Vexillifer'' <small>Gasco, 1870</small> }}
'''''Carapus''''' is a genus of pearlfishes, with these currently recognized species:<ref>{{FishBase genus | genus = Carapus| month = February | year = 2018}}</ref>
* ''Carapus acus'' <small>(Brünnich, 1768)</small> (pearlfish) * ''Carapus bermudensis'' <small>(J. M. Jones, 1874)</small> (Atlantic pearlfish) * ''Carapus dubius'' <small>(Putnam, 1874)</small> (Pacific pearlfish) * ''Carapus mourlani'' <small>(Petit, 1934)</small> (star pearlfish) * ''Carapus sluiteri'' <small>(M. C. W. Weber, 1905)</small>
The ''Carapus'' (or pearlfish) belongs to the Carapidae family; they are described as eel-like fishes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Orphal |first1=Colleye |last2=Christophe |first2=Brié |last3=Emmanuel |first3=Malpot |last4=Pierre |first4=Vandewalle |last5=Eric |first5=Parmentier |date=March 2008 |title=Temporal variability of settlement in Carapidae larvae at Rangiroa atoll |url=https://orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/12686/1/29settlement.pdf |journal=Environmental Biology of Fishes |language=en |volume=81 |issue=3 |pages=277–285 |doi=10.1007/s10641-007-9199-4 |bibcode=2008EnvBF..81..277O |hdl=2268/12686 |issn=0378-1909|url-access= |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= }}</ref> This particular organism is considered parasitic because it lives inside different invertebrates. These invertebrates include holothurians, sea stars, and bivalves. The Carapus live in connection with several species of sea cucumbers and starfish.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Enajjar |first1=Samira |last2=Bradai |first2=Mohamed Nejemeddine |date=2016-04-12 |title=First Record of Carapus acus (Osteichthyes: Carapidae) in the Gulf of Gabès (southern Tunisia, central Mediterranean Sea) |journal=Marine Biodiversity Records |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=7 |doi=10.1186/s41200-016-0015-8 |issn=1755-2672|doi-access=free |bibcode=2016MBdR....9....7E }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Carapidae Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque
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