South Africa country information

Common names: Robust jawfish, Sterk grootbekvis
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Known from Durban.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 1986
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Sterk grootbekvis, 壮身后颌鰧, 壯身後頜鰧, ... 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); muscatensis: Named for the type locality Muscat, Oman..
More on author: Boulenger.

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

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 15 - 50 m (Ref. 9710), usually 30 - 50 m (Ref. 27115). Tropical; 18°C - 24°C (Ref. 27115)

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

Western Indian Ocean: Durban, South Africa to the Persian Gulf, including Mahé Island, Seychelles (Ref. 5468). Not in Red Sea (Ref. 84159).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 45.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15. This species is distinguished by the following characters: short supramaxilla and mostly rigid maxilla with only a slight flexible lamina posteriorly; an ocellated spot on the dorsal fin, between third or fourth and eighth spines followed by two large, irregular, dark blotches that extend onto body, and a blackish streak on cheek bordering upper edge of maxilla; outermost segmented pelvic-fin ray is tightly bound to adjacent ray, with interradial membrane not incised distally or only slightly at tip (vs. interradial membrane deeply incised in all other Indo-Pacific Opistognathus (Ref. 81517). Black spot between 3rd and 8th dorsal fin spines, fin also with 2 large blotches that extend onto body; body and dorsal fin with spots and blotches bordered with pale blue (Ref. 5468).

This species is occasionally encountered in the fish market and its flesh is reported to be relatively good. It is taken incidentally in bottom trawls and by hook and line at 30-50 m (Ref. 81517).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 1986. Opisthognathidae. p. 726-727. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 5468)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 19 July 2017

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Aquarium: commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 22.4 - 28.3, mean 26 (based on 73 cells).

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): 3.8 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (35 of 100).

Opistognathus muscatensis Boulenger, 1888