Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenesocidae (Pike congers)
Etymology: Gavialiceps: Hindi, ghariyal = gavial, saurian of Ganges, 1825 + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335); bertelseni: Named in memory of Erik Bertelsen, leading ichthyologist and outstanding person (Ref. 44791).
Eponymy: Dr Erik ‘Bertel’ Bertelsen (1912–1993) was a celebrated Danish fisheries biologist and ichthyologist at the Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 670 - 1200 m (Ref. 44791). Deep-water
Western Indian Ocean: southwestern slope of Madagascar.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 84.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44791)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Bright brown, the back is somewhat darker than the belly. The edges of the dorsal and anal fin rays are dark in the caudal section of the body. The gill and mouth cavities are dark but do not show through the skin. The stomach and peritoneum are bright. The stomach is long, 2.2-2.3 times the length of the head, but does not reach above the anus (Ref. 44791).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Karmovskaya, E.S., 1994. Systematics and distribution of the eel genus Gavialiceps (Congridae) in the Indo-West Pacific. J. Ichthyol. 34(3):73-89. (Ref. 44791)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5313 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00155 (0.00068 - 0.00355), b=2.92 (2.72 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100).