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Teleostei (teleosts) > Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) > Synbranchidae (Swamp-eels)
Etymology: Ophisternon: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, sternon = chest (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Rosen & Greenwood.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; brackish; demersal. Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Central America: throughout the Atlantic Slope of Guatemala and Mexico to Cuba.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13498)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

With small inconspicuous blotches; gill opening far forward on underside of head. No paired fins (Ref. 26938).

Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Found in a variety of habitats from standing water in small muddy pools to clear running water in streams and larger bodies of water such as lakes (Ref. 79717). The male guards and builds nest or burrow (Ref. 205).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

The male guards and builds nest or burrow (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Fávorito, Sandra | Collaborators

Kullander, S.O., 2003. Family Synbranchidae (Swamp-eels). p. 594-595. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 79717)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 11 September 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
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Food consumption
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Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
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Abundance

Life cycle
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Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
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Eggs
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Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
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Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith

Physiology
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Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
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Visual pigments
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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00085 (0.00039 - 0.00184), b=3.09 (2.90 - 3.28), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.3 ±0.3 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (52 of 100).

Ophisternon aenigmaticum Rosen & Greenwood, 1976