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Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Ophichthus: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Kaup.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 2 - 20 m (Ref. 89972). Tropical

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West Pacific.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 120 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 89972)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 177 - 179. Color tan to brown; larger specimens becoming darker above lateral midline and its median fins with black margin; pectoral fins dark; those of smaller specimens may be clear. A prominent pale spot before eye and a smaller pale spot on snout above anterior nostril. Barbels prominent along ventral margin of upper lip; one beneath the anterior margin of the eye, the other midway between it and the base of the anterior nostril. Dorsal fin elevated , its origin just above or slightly in advance of gill openings. Pectoral fins elongate, 2.4-2.8 HL.

A benthic (Ref. 75154) and burrowing species which occurs over soft bottoms of inshore waters (Ref. 7300, 75154). Feeds on cephalopodes, crustaceans and small fishes (Ref. 89972). Solitary in sand, often with head protruding (Ref 90102).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McCosker, John E. | Collaborators

McCosker, J.E. and J.E. Randall, 2002. Ophichthys melanochir Bleeker, 1865, a junior synonym of the highfin snake eel Ophichthus altipennis (Kaup, 1856). Copeia 2002(3):798-799. (Ref. 43769)

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

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 04 February 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Trophic ecology
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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.1 - 29.2, mean 28.4 °C (based on 3045 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00091 (0.00039 - 0.00215), b=2.99 (2.79 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.1 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High to very high vulnerability (72 of 100).

Ophichthus altipennis (Kaup, 1856)