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).
Eponymy: Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert Baron Cuvier (1769–1832), better known by his pen name Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and one of the scientific giants of his age. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Valenciennes.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 35 m (Ref. 129348). Tropical
Southwest Atlantic: southern Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26893)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 16. Anterior nostril a short tube with simple cirrus on posterior rim; posterior end of maxilla of adult males produced as a thin flexible lamina that usually extends beyond posterior margin of opercle; spinous dorsal fin with a dark spot encircled by broad white ring; adult males with inner lining of maxilla and adjacent membranes with two dark stripes (innermost stripe not well developed), no stripes in females; buccal pigmentation consisting of a dark blotch on either side of esophageal opening widely separated by pale median area that continues between upper pharyngeals; caudal vertebrae 19 (Ref. 26893).
Occurs in coastal waters, on gravel and sand or silt and sand bottoms, near coral reefs and rocky areas and observed resting on the bottom or in burrows (Ref. 129348). Mouthbrooders (Ref. 240).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Employ mouthbrooding to care for their young (Ref. 240).
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 1997. Five new species of jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae) from the western Atlantic ocean. Bull. Mar. Sci. 60(3):1074-1128. (Ref. 26893)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 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).
