Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Ophichthus: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335); semilunatus: Name from Latin ‘semi’ for half and ‘lunatus’ for moon, referring to the half-moon blotch on the anterior margin of anus.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal. Subtropical
Northwest Pacific: Taiwan.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 50.0 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 176. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: head 9.4% TL; tail 57.5% TL; snout is not acute, 19.0% HL; eye large, 93.3% of snout length and 17.7% HL; dorsal-fin origin is well behind pectoral-fin tip by about three pectoral-fin lengths; teeth on maxilla triserial; SO 1+3; POM 6 or 7+2; predorsal vertebrae 29, preanal vertebrae 64, total vertebrae 176; anterior margin of anus with a half-moon shaped dark marking (Ref. 121619).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Hibino, Y., Y.-C. Chiu, H.-M. Chen and K.-T. Shao, 2019. Two new species of the genus Ophichthus from the western central Pacific Ocean, with a redescription of Ophichthus megalops Asano, 1987 (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Zootaxa 4702(1):140-154. (Ref. 121619)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [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): 3.9 ±0.7 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): Moderate vulnerability (40 of 100).