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Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) >
Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels) > Ophidiinae
Etymology: Lepophidium: Latin, lepus, leporis = rabbit + Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335); zophochir: Named for the blackish pectoral fin ('zophos' meaning darkness and 'cheier' for hand or the pectoral fin).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 192 - 348 m (Ref. 91765). Tropical; 13°N - 5°N, 75°W - 51°W (Ref. 91765)
Western Atlantic: coast of northern South America from the Guianas to Trinidad and along the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and northern Colombia (off Barranquilla).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 24.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 91765)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 130 - 139; Anal soft rays: 108 - 116; Vertebrae: 74 - 77. This species possesses a pigmented gut and distinguished by the following characters: D 130-139; 74-77 total vertebrae; average body depth, 10.6% in SL; origin of dorsal fin, 11.4% in SL; origin of anal fin, 10.5% in SL; average long pelvic ray length, 8.8% in SL; pectoral fin length, 8.8% in SL; head and body with no pattern of spots, bars, or blotches (Ref. 91765).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like; Cross section: compressed.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Robins, C.R., R.H. Robins and M.E. Brown, 2012. A revision of Lepophidium (Teleoastei, Ophidiidae), with descriptions of eight new species. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 52(1):1-94. (Ref. 91765)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Threat to humans
Harmless
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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=0.00102 (0.00046 - 0.00225), b=3.06 (2.88 - 3.24), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245). |
Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
3.6 ±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 (29 of 100). 🛈 |