Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) >
Synbranchidae (Swamp-eels)
Etymology: Monopterus: Greek, monos = one, unique + Greek, pteron = fin (Ref. 45335); rongsaw: Name from the Khasi word meaning red, referring to the blood red colour of the species when alive; noun in apposition.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; pelagic; depth range 0 - 1 m (Ref. 118582). Subtropical
Asia: Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 17.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 118582)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 161. This species is distinguished from all other synbranchids except Ophisternon infernale,
O. candidum, Monopterus boueti, M. luticolus, M. eapeni, M. roseni, and M. digressus in having tiny eyes which are covered by skin that are barely visible externally and by the lack of skin pigmentation. It differs from the seven species by having 92+69=161 vertebrae (vs. 67+72=139 in Ophisternon infernale, 51-54+109-111=162-163 in O. candidum, 108 + 79-86 = 187-194 in M. boueti, 95-102+98-110=198-208 in M. luticolus, 135+24=159 in M. eapeni, 76+71=147 in M. roseni, and 86-88+80-82=166-170 in M. digressus); differs further from M. boueti and M. luticolus in having the shoulder girdle articulating with the skull, with the posttemporal contacting the epiotic and supracleithrum (vs. cleithrum and supracleithrum posteriorly displaced and the posttemporal separated from the supracleithrum and epiotic) (Ref. 118582).
Obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Collected by soil-digging searches with bladed hoes for fossorial caecilian amphibians; at a depth of ca. 40 cm in moist, rocky soil in a secondary forest, approximately 4 km trekking distance from Double Decker living roots bridge in Nongriat. It was unearthed ca. 50 m from an unnamed stream with some ground vegetation (herbs and bushes) that was cleared before digging (Ref. 118582).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Britz, R., D. Sykes, D.J. Grower and R.G. Kamei, 2018. Monopterus rongsaw, a new species of hypogean swamp eel from the Khasi Hills in Northeast India (Teleostei: Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 28(4):315-326. (Ref. 118582)
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 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00085 (0.00039 - 0.00184), b=3.09 (2.90 - 3.28), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 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).
