Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Ophichthus: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 355 - 580 m (Ref. 84366). Deep-water
Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 46.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 84366)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 178. Similar dentition with O. aphotistos, but this species has a more irregular biserial dentition, a much larger eye, a more posterior dorsal fin origin, above 27th-31st vertebrae, and has more vertebrae, 178 (Ref. 40865).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
McCosker, J.E. and Y.-Y. Chen, 2000. A new species of deepwater snake-eel, Ophichthus aphotistos, with comments on Neenchelys retropinna (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Taiwan. Ichthyol. Res. 47(4):353-357. (Ref. 40865)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
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Bayesian length-weight
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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) |
3.9 ±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 (28 of 100). 🛈 |