Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenesocidae (Pike congers)
Etymology: Gavialiceps: Hindi, ghariyal = gavial, saurian of Ganges, 1825 + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 380 - 497 m (Ref. 44791). Deep-water
Western Indian Ocean: Gulf of Aden, southeastern Arabian Sea from Socotra, Yemen to Maldives.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 84.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44791)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 40; Anal soft rays: 283; Vertebrae: 220 - 231. Color is dark brown, head is black, gill chamber dark but does not show through the skin. The peritoneum is pigmented, the stomach is bright and long, but does not reach above the anus, its length is 1.2-1.9 times the length of the head (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
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 10.2 - 14.7, mean 12.1 °C (based on 13 cells).
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).