Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Bascanichthys: Greek, baskanos, -os, -on = evil eye + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335); gaira: Named for its type locality, Bahía de Gaira, Colombia, southern Caribbean.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal. Tropical
Western Central Atlantic: Caribbean, Colombia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 47.7 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 116651)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species isi distinguished by the following characters: elongate, markedly bicolored, dark brown dorsally and light brown almost cream ventrally, head and snout are dark, fins pale without marks, sex unrecognized; proportions as % of TL: head 4.6-5.3, trunk 47.9-51.7, tail 43.8-47.9; depth (at gill opening) 1.2-1.5; depth (at anus) 1-1.1; predorsal length 2.1-2.4; snout 12.4-12.7; eye 4.1-5.5; interorbital width 6.9-9.7; pectoral-fin length 6.4-7.0 mm; pores SO 1 + 3, IO 4 + 2, POM 4 + 2, STC 3; pectoral fin minute, its base corresponding to 12.3-24.7% of gill-opening length; uniserial mandibular teeth (Ref. 116651).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Moreno, F., A.P. Acero and M. Grijalba-Bendeck, 2016. A new species of sand eel genus Bascanichthys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the Caribbean. Bol. Invest. Mar. Cost. 45(1):7-14. (Ref. 116651)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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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): 3.7 ±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): Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100).