Mystriophis rostellatus, African spoon-nose eel : fisheries

Mystriophis rostellatus (Richardson, 1848)

African spoon-nose eel
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Mystriophis rostellatus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Mystriophis rostellatus (African spoon-nose eel)
Mystriophis rostellatus
Picture by Cambraia Duarte, P.M.N. (c)ImagDOP

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: Mystriophis: Greek, mystrion = spoon + Greek, ophis = serpent.
More on author: Richardson.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 40 m (Ref. 2683), usually ? - 40 m (Ref. 26999). Tropical; - 23°S

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

Eastern Atlantic: Mauritania (Ref. 4455) south to Walvis Bay, Namibia (Ref. 3972).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 140 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27121); common length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26999)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Brownish dorsally, lighter below (Ref. 3972).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits lagoons and coastal waters (Ref. 2683), from near shore to 40 m (Ref. 4455). Burrows in sand or mud (Ref. 4455). Feeds on small fishes, crabs and shrimps (Ref. 3651).

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

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

Leiby, M., 1990. Ophichthidae. p. 176-192. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 4455)

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

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 14 March 2011

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: minor 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
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Territories
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
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Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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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 | 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 = 0.7500 [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) 		3.9   ±0.67 se; based on food items.
Resilience
(Ref. 120179) 		Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability
(Ref. 59153) 		High vulnerability (61 of 100). 🛈
Price category
(Ref. 80766) 		Unknown.