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Teleostei (teleosts) > Ovalentaria/misc (Various families in series Ovalentaria) > Opistognathidae (Jawfishes)
Etymology: Opistognathus: Greek, opisthe = behind + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335); to the very elongate upper jaw of the type species of the genus, Opistognathus nigromarginatus (Ref. 128653); walkeri: Named for of Boyd W. Walker.
Eponymy: Professor Dr Boyd Wallace Walker (1917–2001) was an American fisheries biologist; ultimately Professor Emeritus of Zoology-Fisheries at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he worked for over three decades (1949–1980). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 21 - 90 m (Ref. 75633). Tropical

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Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75633)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12; Vertebrae: 26. This is a large (10.2-11.7 cm SL), deep-bodied species with the following set of features: adults of both sexes with long maxilla, with flexible scimitar-shaped lamina, in males, extending beyond operculum; black inner lining of maxilla and adjacent membranes; D 12 or 13; A III; 21-26 gill rakers on lower limb of first arch; 54-55 pored lateral line scales; 16 caudal vertebrae (Ref. 75633).

Juvenile specimens collected by ichthyocide at 21-24 m, and adults by trawl at 80-90 m (Ref. 75633).

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

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Bussing, W.A. and R.J. Lavenberg, 2003. Four new species of eastern tropical Pacific jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae). Rev. Biol. Trop. 51(2):529-550. (Ref. 75633)

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

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 24 May 2007

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

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

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.5 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Opistognathus walkeri Bussing & Lavenberg, 2003