Teleostei (teleosts) >
Ovalentaria/misc (Various families in series Ovalentaria) >
Opistognathidae (Jawfishes)
Etymology: Opistognathus: Greek, opisthe = behind + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335); to the very elongate upper jaw of the type species of the genus, Opistognathus nigromarginatus (Ref. 128653).
Eponymy: Dr Barton Warren Evermann (1853–1932) was a schoolteacher (1876–1886) and a student at Indiana University, where he was awarded his bachelor’s degree (1886), master’s (1888) and doctorate (1891). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Jordan & Snyder.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 10 - 30 m (Ref. 128653). Subtropical
Indo-West Pacific: India, Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 11.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 559)
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 10 - 11; Vertebrae: 26. This species is distinguished by the following characters: with a rigid upper jaw lacking flexible lamina posteriorly, extending about 1.0 eye diameter behind posterior margin of orbit; infraorbitals are moderately tubular, with large openings for sensory canals, the third infraorbital largest with very short posterolateral projecting arm ending with sensory canal opening, no suborbital shelf; D XI,10-12; A II,10-11; vertebrae 10 + 16; scale rows in horizontal series about 41-47; nape naked; outer premaxillary teeth are relatively straight with distinctly blunt tips. Colouration: soft dorsal and anal fins each with two pale stripes; caudal fin with one pale band; pelvic fin bicolored, dark except for the pale unbranched outer two rays and interradial membrane (Ref. 128653).
A rare species. Mouthbrooders (Ref. 240).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Employ mouthbrooding to care for their young (Ref. 240).
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 2023. Review of Indo-West Pacific jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae), with descriptions of 18 new species. Zootaxa 5252(1):1-180. (Ref. 128653)
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 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), 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
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
