| Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels), subfamily: Neobythitinae |
| 55.5 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
|
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 1680 - 1800 m |
| Indo-Pacific: from off Kenya to Fiji. |
|
This species is distinguished by the following characters: body elongate, tapering caudally, scales on head and body rather small with 25-35 oblique scale rows, snout rather pointed, mouth terminal, a single basibranchial tooth patch with a slight constriction centrally and a v-shaped vomer, sagittal otolith large with a small sulcus and no ostial channel, dorsal fin-rays 132-142, anal fin-rays 108-114, pectoral fin-rays 26-29, ventral fin-rays not reaching anus, total number of vertebrae 71-76, long gill rakers on anterior arch 14-17 (Ref. 84269). |
| A benthic species found on the continental slope (Ref. 75154). Reproductive strategy possibly similar to other members of this family featuring oviparity, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205). Of the 22 examined specimens 16 are
males, including a 55.5 crn SL specimen with spent testes. One of the six females measuring 23.2 cm SL had fully ripe ovaries with eggs of about 0.5 mm in diameter. These were caught on or near the bottom mostly at slope depths but also extending into the abyss. Identifiable contents from the digestive tract found in six specimens include scales and vertebrae from fish, dorsal felt from polychaetes and remains of crustaceans (Ref. 84269). |
|
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
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