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Opistognathus elizabethensis Smith-Vaniz, 2004

Elizabeth reef jawfish
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Image of Opistognathus elizabethensis (Elizabeth reef jawfish)
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drawing shows typical species in Opistognathidae.

Australia country information

Common names: Elizabeth jawfish, Elizabeth reef jawfish
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Type locality, Elizabeth Reef, N side near lagoon entrance, AMS I.27891-010 (holotype of Opistognathus elizabethensis, 6.04 cm SL, male). Known from the type locality and possibly occurring in the adjacent Middletown Reef (Ref. 76827).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 2004
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Elizabeth jawfish, ... more

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

Teleostei (teleosts) > Ovalentaria/misc (Various families in series Ovalentaria) > Opistognathidae (Jawfishes)
Etymology: Opistognathus: Greek, opisthe = behind + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335); to the very elongate upper jaw of the type species of the genus, Opistognathus nigromarginatus (Ref. 128653);  elizabethensis: Named for its type locality, Elizabeth Reef (Australia)..

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 0 - 18 m (Ref. 76827).   Subtropical

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

Southwest Pacific: Australia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.1 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 76827)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 18 - 19; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 17 - 19; Vertebrae: 33. This species possess the following characters: with a rigid upper jaw lacking flexible lamina posteriorly, extending about 0.6-0.9 eye diameters behind posterior margin of orbit; infraorbitals are moderately wide, the third infraorbital largest with large sensory canal openings, no suborbital shelf; D XI,18-19; A II,17-19; vertebrae 10 + 23; scale rows in horizontal series about 47-51; no scales anterolaterally forward of verticals from 6th or 7th dorsal-fin spine; vomerine teeth 2 or 3. Colouration: an oblong black spot (partially encircled by white border) between spines 3-6 of dorsal fin, and this extends slightly onto dorsum; when alive, yellowish-brown with pale blue markings in dorsal fin; when preserved, head and body uniformly tan, except largest specimen with pair of pale basicaudal spots (Ref. 76827, 128653).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Benthic species which occurs inshore; inhabits coral reef (Ref. 75154).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 2023. Review of Indo-West Pacific jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae), with descriptions of 18 new species. Zootaxa 5252(1):1-180. (Ref. 128653)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless




Human uses

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

More information

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References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Classification Tree | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | Faunafri | Fishtrace | GenBank(genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | GOBASE | | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Scirus | SeaLifeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia(Go, Search) | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm Total Length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.4   ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (10 of 100).