Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Ophichthus: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 20 m (Ref. 3972). Tropical, preferred ?
Indo-Pacific: off Durban, South Africa, then from Mauritius to Indonesia; north to Japan, south to Australia. Reported from the Penghu Islands (Ref. 55073).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 75.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3972)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 156 - 164. Golden yellow to cream with 18-27 prominent black saddles, a few meeting below (Ref. 3972). Dorsal and anal margin with irregular spots and golden marbling and spots on snout and head (Ref. 3972). Body broadly banded with black and white (Ref. 48635).
Inhabits sand flats of lagoon and seaward reefs to a depth of over 20 m (Ref. 37816). Burrowing species of inshore waters (Ref. 75154). Feeds on small fishes, and probably crustaceans (Ref. 89972). Only the head is usually visible from the sand during the day (Ref. 48635). Solitary in sand (Ref 90102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
McCosker, J.E. and P.H.J. Castle, 1986. Ophichthidae. p. 176-186. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 3972)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00151 (0.00061 - 0.00373), b=2.91 (2.70 - 3.12), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.7 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (37 of 100) .