Teleostei (teleosts) >
Clupeiformes (Herrings) >
Pristigasteridae (Pristigasterids)
Etymology: Opisthopterus: Greek, opisthe = behind + Greek, pteron = wing. Fin (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Captain John Melmoth Dow (1827–1892) was an American naturalist and explorer, in addition to being a ship’s master and shipping agent. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Günther.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 188). Tropical; 32°N - 5°S, 116°W - 77°W (Ref. 188)
Eastern Pacific: Rio Muerto in the Gulf of California southward to Gulf of Guayaquil, Peru.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 23.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 114986); common length : 18.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9336)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 55 - 62. Belly with about 29 scutes. Lower jaw projecting, its mouth pointing obliquely upward; no hypo-maxilla. Pectoral fin a little longer than head; dorsal fin origin nearer to caudal fin base than to vertical from pectoral fin base by 1 and 1/2 eye diameters (or behind midpoint of body by 2 and 1/4 eye diameter); anal fin long, its origin much nearer to snout tip than to caudal fin base.
Occurs in coastal waters, perhaps entering brackish water (Ref. 9336). Feeds mainly on small fishes (Ref. 9336).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Whitehead, P.J.P., 1985. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 7. Clupeoid fishes of the world (suborder Clupeoidei). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the herrings, sardines, pilchards, sprats, shads, anchovies and wolf-herrings. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(7/1):1-303. Rome: FAO. (Ref. 188)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 23.5 - 28.5, mean 26.8 °C (based on 42 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00589 (0.00349 - 0.00994), b=3.00 (2.86 - 3.14), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.2 ±0.73 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (13 of 100).
![Image of Opisthopterus dovii (Dove\](/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Opdov_u1.jpg "Image of Opisthopterus dovii (Dove\")
