Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Suculentophichthus: Name from the Latin 'suculentus' meaning succulent, referring to the succulent-leaf shaped snout appendages of the new genus, which are characteristic; and 'ophichthus' refers to its snake eel identity. The name also alludes to its similarity to Phyllophichthus; nasus: Name from Latin 'nasus' meaning nose, referring to the nose-like snout of the new species; noun in apposition.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 0 - 1 m (Ref. 103840). Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea (Israel).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 37.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 103840)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished by the following characters: tail length 66.4%, head length 6.6%, and body depth at gill opening 1.7% of total length; the dorsal-fin origin is well in advance of pectoral-fin base; elongate pectoral fin; posterior nostril a hole above the upper lip; a broad, succulent-leaf shaped flap near the anterior nostril; pores are small but conspicuous, SO 1 + 4, IO 4 + 2, POM 5 + 2, ST 3; teeth are small and conical, biserial on anterior part of upper jaw, biserial on lower jaw, a series of 6 vomerine teeth; colouration light brown, with numerous dark brown lines on head and pigment spots on upper half of body and dorsal and anal fins whitish; vertebral formula 5/64/193 (Ref. 103840).
This species is seined on shallow sand bottom, at 0.5-1 m. Apparently very rare, or rarely encountered by divers or snorkelers, possibly also due to its cryptic burying habits (Ref. 103840).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Fricke, R., D. Golani and B. Appelbaum-Golani, 2015. Suculentophichthus nasus, a new genus and new species of snake eel from the northern Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea (Teleostei: Ophichthidae). J. Ocean Sci. Found. 16:56-66. (Ref. 103840)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.0000 [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): 3.7 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (27 of 100).
