Ophichthus rufus, Rufus snake-eel : fisheries

Ophichthus rufus (Rafinesque, 1810)

Rufus snake-eel
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Ophichthus rufus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Ophichthus rufus (Rufus snake-eel)
Ophichthus rufus
Picture by García Rodríguez, M.

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).
More on author: Rafinesque.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 90 - 130 m (Ref. 122751). Subtropical; 45°N - 30°N, 6°W - 36°E

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

Endemic to the Mediterranean.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3397)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics


Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found on the shelf, on mud bottoms (Ref. 3397). A nocturnally-active species (Ref. 48389). Buries itself in the mud during the day, emerging only to feed at night (Ref. 48389).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McCosker, John E. | Collaborators

Bauchot, M.-L., 1987. Poissons osseux. p. 891-1421. In W. Fischer, M.L. Bauchot and M. Schneider (eds.) Fiches FAO d'identification pour les besoins de la pêche. (rev. 1). Méditerranée et mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Vol. II. Commission des Communautés Européennes and FAO, Rome. (Ref. 3397)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 09 May 2014

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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Eggs
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Larvae
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Distribution
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References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | 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=0.00093 (0.00041 - 0.00212), b=2.99 (2.79 - 3.19), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level
(Ref. 69278) 		4.3   ±0.5 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience
(Ref. 120179) 		Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability
(Ref. 59153) 		Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100). 🛈
Price category
(Ref. 80766) 		Unknown.
Nutrients
(Ref. 124155) 		Calcium = 47.6 [11.1, 143.4] mg/100g; Iron = 1.09 [0.42, 4.27] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [16.5, 21.2] %; Omega3 = 0.325 [0.151, 0.907] g/100g; Selenium = 24.9 [4.8, 70.8] μg/100g; VitaminA = 15.3 [4.5, 53.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.514 [0.258, 1.021] mg/100g (wet weight);