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Synbranchus marmoratus Bloch, 1795

Marbled swamp eel
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Image of Synbranchus marmoratus (Marbled swamp eel)
Synbranchus marmoratus
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Brazil country information

Common names: Enguia, Enguia da água doce, Enguia-d'água-doce
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: subsistence fisheries | Ref: Silvano, R.A.M. and A. Begossi, 2001
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: live export: yes;
Comments: Recorded from the Caracu and Sao Pedro streams, both tributaries of the Paraná river (Ref. 26076) and Pircacicaba river (Ref. 50076). Also reported from the Uruguay River (Ref. 79585) and Machado River basin (Ref. 97589). Also Ref. 81048.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Pavanelli, C.S. and E.P. Caramaschi, 1997
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) > Synbranchidae (Swamp-eels)
Etymology: Synbranchus: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, brangchia = gill (Ref. 45335).
  More on author: Bloch.

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

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243).   Subtropical; 22°C - 34°C (Ref. 36880)

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

Central and South America: Mexico to northern Argentina.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 79717); common length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 35237)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Body cylindrical and long; eyes small; dorsal and anal fins vestigial (Ref. 26543).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Anguilliform, has no pectoral and ventral fins; its dorsal and anal fins are vestigial (Ref. 27188). Adults inhabit streams, ponds, canals, drains, rice fields, both clear and turbid water (Ref. 11225). Nocturnal (Ref. 11225). Carnivore (Ref. 26543). The male guards and builds nest or burrow (Ref. 205). A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. 55367). Its being a facultative air-breather (Ref. 1468) explains, at least in part, why it is often missing from faunal inventories. At the start of the dry season when there's a decline in water level, it digs a tubular burrow in a bank or on the bottom. This burrow, which is for the most part sub-horizontal , can have several diverticula, followed by a vertical section which leads to the exterior by only one opening. Although breathing is slowed down, the fish remains active and flees if it is disturbed (Ref. 27188).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

A diandric species having both primary and secondary male developmental pathways. Length at sex change = 34.0 cm TL (Ref. 55367). Also Ref. 35344, 103751.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Fávorito, Sandra | Collaborators

Kullander, S.O., 2003. Family Synbranchidae (Swamp-eels). p. 594-595. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 79717)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 28 March 2018

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless




Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Home ranges
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
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Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
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Ciguatera cases
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Taxonomy
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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.6250   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00095 (0.00057 - 0.00160), b=3.10 (2.95 - 3.25), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.8   ±0.51 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.