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); nigroventralis: Name from Latin word 'niger' meaning black + 'venter' for abdomen + '-alis', Latin adjectival suffix, referring numerous black dots on the abdomen..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 400 m (Ref. 130908). Deep-water
Western Indian Ocean: India.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 42.3 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 131 - 134. This moderate elongated species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: dorsal-fin origin slightly behind the pectoral-fin tip; pectoral fin lanceolate, slightly
shorter than the upper jaw in length; head length 6.7-7.5 in TL; pre-anal length 2.1-2.2 in TL; tail 1.9 in TL; head pores - SO 1 + 3, IO 4 + 2, POM 6 + 3; teeth small, conical and pointed; intermaxillary with a rosette of 10 teeth; vomer with 6 anterior teeth in irregular biserial rows, posterior teeth 11 in uniserial row; maxillary with 24-25 uniserial pointed teeth; in fresh, body yellowish-brown dorsally, whitish ventral, abdomen with numerous minute black pigmentation
extends up to tail, pectoral fin whitish with brown base; pre-dorsal vertebrae 17-18; pre-anal vertebrae 53-54; total vertebrae 131-134 (Ref. 130908).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Kodeeswaran, P., A. Mohapatra and T.T.P.A. Kumar, 2023. A new species of deep-water snake eel, Ophichthus nigroventralis (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the Arabian Sea, southwest coast of India. Ichthyol. Res. 71:268-275. (Ref. 130908)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: bycatch
Tools
Special reports
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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].
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 (32 of 100).
