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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: Linnaeus.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 21 - 70 m (Ref. 2683), usually ? - 50 m (Ref. 26999). Subtropical; - 25°S

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

Western Atlantic: Bermuda and southern Florida, USA to Brazil. Lesser Antilles (Ref. 26938). Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Angola (Ref. 4455). Doubtful record from the western Mediterranean (Ref. 13729).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 210 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26938); common length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Body pale, dark band across back of head (Ref. 26938).

Maximum depth from Ref. 126840. Lives in a permanent burrow, often in very shallow water. Heads protrude diagonally from the sand. Nocturnal. Feeds on octopus and fish (Ref. 5217). Bold and easily approached. Feared by fishers (Ref. 9710). Rarely consumed (Ref. 3795).

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

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

Böhlke, J.E., 1981. Ophichthidae. In W. Fischer, G. Bianchi and W.B. Scott (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Eastern Central Atlantic, (Fishing Areas 34, 47 (in part)), Vol. 3, [var. pag.]. FAO, Rome. (Ref. 3651)

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

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 15 August 2011

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30911)

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; bait: usually

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology

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

Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
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Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith

Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)

Genetics
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability

Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.

Outreach
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Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
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Pictures

References
References

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 19.2 - 27.5, mean 24.8 °C (based on 156 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): 4.5 ±0.80 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).

Ophichthus ophis (Linnaeus, 1758)