Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

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); simus: Name from the Latin 'simus' (pugnosed), refers to the blunt snout.

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

Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 1 - ? m (Ref. 85161). Tropical

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

Western Indian Ocean: known only from Cargados Carajos [= St. Brandon Shoals].

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.5 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 85161); 6.6 cm SL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15 - 16; Vertebrae: 29. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: rigid maxilla without flexible lamina posteriorly; D XI,15; body with about 53-62 oblique scale rows in longitudinal series; no scales anterolaterally forward of verticals from 5th or 6th segmented dorsal-fin rays; no pale basicaudal spots on caudal fin; no vomerine teeth (Ref. 85161).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 2010. New species of Indo-Pacific jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae) from the Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Smithiana Bull. 12:39-54. (Ref. 85161)

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

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 19 July 2017

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Trophic ecology
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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): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

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

Opistognathus simus Smith-Vaniz, 2010