Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Ophichthus: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335); naevius: Name from Latin 'naevius' meaning having moles or spots, referring to numerous dark spots on the dorsal surface of the body.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 25 - 30 m (Ref. 130619). Tropical
Indian Ocean: Bay of Bengal, India.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 37.8 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 130619); 31.6 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 134 - 138. This moderately elongate species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: dorsal-fin origin just before pectoral-fin tip; pectoral fin rounded and longer than upper jaw; head 9.7%-10.8% TL; pre-anal length 40.0%-40.9% TL: tail 58.1%-60% TL; snout length 14.8%-18.3% HL; head pores: suprorbital 1 + 4, infraorbital 3 + 3, preopercular 3, mandibular 6; upper jaw no barbel; teeth uniserial small, conical, and pointed; intermaxillary with five teeth, 27-29 curved maxillary teeth on each side, 18 vomerine teeth in irregularly uniserial, 34 mandibular teeth; vertebrae: pre-dorsal 12-14; pre-anal 52-53; total 134-138. Colouration: dorsal body with numerous dense dark spots or patches, ventral body pale yellowish green, opercular mild yellow with no spots, and ventral portion of the lower jaw with distinct dark patches (Ref. 130619).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kodeeswaran, P., A. Kathirvelpandian, A. Mohapatra, T.T.P.A. Kumar and U.K. Sarkar, 2023. A new snake eel species of the genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal, with the taxonomic account of Ophichthus chilkensis. J. Fish Biol. Early view: [1-9].
[First published online, pp. 1-9, 1 Dec. 2023.] (Ref. 130619)
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 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00091 (0.00039 - 0.00215), b=2.99 (2.79 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.7 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 to moderate vulnerability (28 of 100).
