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.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 1500 - 3510 m (Ref. 34024). Deep-water
Western Atlantic: restricted region within the Caribbean Sea.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125143)
This species is distinguished by the following characters: precaudal vertebrae 16-17; loin vertebrae 8-10 with the last precaudal vertebrae without ribs; first gill arch with long gill rakers 15-18; pectoral-fin rays 17-19; HL:HD 1.35-1.45; no head spines; opercular spine flat and extruding; opercular flap small; vomer narrow, anteriorly naked, with few teeth posteriorly, while palatines narrow with 1-2 rows of teeth; basibranchial tooth patch very small or absent; lateral line scales to level of vent 14-20; first dorsal fin pterygiophore originating between the second and third neural spine (Ref. 125143).
Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). The species does not venture far from the shelf break (Ref. 125143). Reproductive strategy possibly similar to other members of this family featuring oviparity, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).
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 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 3.6 - 4.2, mean 4.1 °C (based on 102 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±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 (10 of 100).
