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Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) >
Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels) > Ophidiinae
Etymology: Lepophidium: Latin, lepus, leporis = rabbit + Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335); cultratum: Name from the Latin 'cultratus', meaning knife-shaped.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 91 - 329 m (Ref. 91765). Tropical; 18°N - 5°N, 85°W - 50°W (Ref. 91765)
Western Atlantic: southern Caribbean Sea from eastern Honduras and southern Nicaragua to French Guiana.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 91765)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 128 - 137; Anal soft rays: 105 - 112; Vertebrae: 70 - 74. This species is characterized by the following: head and body without pattern; differs L. crossotum, L. kallion, and L. wileyi in lacking a fringed snout; no large spot in the dorsal fin; lacks the distally expanded anterior rib or haltere (?) in males (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) |
3.7 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives |
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 (35 of 100). 🛈 |