Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) >
Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels) > Neobythitinae
Etymology: Tenuicephalus: Name from Latin 'tenuis' for thin, weak and 'cephalus' for 'head', referring to the delicate and weak nature of the head ossification which often results in damaged specimens when recovered from deep-water trawls; multitrabs: Name from Latin 'multi' meaning many or multi, and 'trabs' for club or spar, referring to the many long rakers in this species as compared to T. melampeplus.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 1000 - 2000 m (Ref. 125143). Deep-water
Indian Ocean (except for its northern part) and the western Pacific.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125143)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished by the following characters: precaudal vertebrae 14-16, loin vertebrae 3-5 the last precaudal vertebrae without ribs; first gill arch with long gill rakers 18-21; pectoral-fin rays 16-18; HL:HD 1.38-1.63; maximal HD:HD through center of eye 1.35-1.70; weak head spines on ethmoidal, interorbital and 5th infraorbital; opercular spine sharp and extruding; opercular flap is moderately large; vomer narrow, naked or with few teeth or one row of teeth; palatines narrow with 1-3 rows of teeth; basibranchial tooth patch small, narrow with 1-3 rows of teeth; otolith large, 11.5-14.5 % in HL, with single colliculum; OL:OH = 1.22-1.34; OL:TCL = 2.46-2.92 (Ref. 125143).
The largest number of specimens were caught at great distance from the nearest shelf areas in the central Indian Ocean, nearly 2000 km above the Ninety-East Ridge. It was caught well above the sea bottom indicating that these fishes might obtain a bathypelagic rather than a benthopelagic life style (Ref. 125143).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Schwarzhans, W.W. and P.R. Møller, 2021. Revision of the ‘dragon-head’ cusk eels of the genus Porogadus (Teleostei: Ophidiidae), with description of eight new species and one new genus. Zootaxa 5029(1):001-096. (Ref. 125143)
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=0.00380 (0.00167 - 0.00864), b=3.14 (2.94 - 3.34), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±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 vulnerability (15 of 100).
