Maurolicus

"Pearlside" redirects here. This may also refer to the related Argyripnus iridescens.

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.

Pearlsides Temporal range: Miocene to Present
Mueller's pearlside, Maurolicus muelleri
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Stomiiformes
Family:	Sternoptychidae
Subfamily:	Maurolicinae
Genus:	Maurolicus Cocco, 1838
Diversity
15 species

Fossils of pearlsides are known from the Miocene.

Species

There are currently 15 recognized species in this genus:

• Maurolicus amethystinopunctatus Cocco, 1838
• Maurolicus australis Hector, 1875 (pennant pearlside)
• Maurolicus breviculus Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993
• Maurolicus imperatorius Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993 (Emperor seamount lightfish)
• Maurolicus inventionis Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993
• Maurolicus japonicus Ishikawa, 1915 (North Pacific lightfish)
• Maurolicus javanicus Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993 (Javan pearlside)
• Maurolicus kornilovorum Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993
• Maurolicus mucronatus Klunzinger, 1871
• Maurolicus muelleri (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) (Silvery lightfish, Mueller's pearlside, Mueller's bristle-mouth fish)
• Maurolicus parvipinnis Vaillant, 1888
• Maurolicus rudjakovi Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993
• Maurolicus stehmanni Parin & Kobyliansky, 1996
• Maurolicus walvisensis Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993
• Maurolicus weitzmani Parin & Kobyliansky, 1993 (Atlantic pearlside, Weitzman's pearlside)