Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) > Molidae (Molas or Ocean Sunfishes)
Etymology: Masturus: Greek, mastax, -agos = bite + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; bathypelagic; depth range ? - 670 m (Ref. 36453). Deep-water; 37°N - 35°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Circumglobal: In tropical to subtropical waters.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 337 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6952); max. published weight: 2.0 t (Ref. 4424)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 19; Anal soft rays: 15 - 19. Dorsal and anal fins similar in shape, positioned far back on body (Ref 53035).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Tortonese, E., 1990. Molidae. p. 1077-1079. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 6952)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 07 June 2011

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
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Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
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Length-weight rel.
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Life cycle
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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 8.9 - 17.6, mean 12.1 °C (based on 390 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 1.0312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02455 (0.01023 - 0.05892), b=3.01 (2.80 - 3.22), 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 diet studies.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).

Masturus lanceolatus (Liénard, 1840)