Ophisternon aenigmaticum, Obscure swamp eel

Ophisternon aenigmaticum Rosen & Greenwood, 1976

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

Teleostei (teleosts) > Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels) > Synbranchidae (Swamp-eels)
Etymology: Ophisternon: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, sternon = chest (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Rosen & Greenwood.

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

Freshwater; brackish; demersal. Tropical

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

Central America: throughout the Atlantic Slope of Guatemala and Mexico to Cuba.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13498)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

With small inconspicuous blotches; gill opening far forward on underside of head. No paired fins (Ref. 26938).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Found in a variety of habitats from standing water in small muddy pools to clear running water in streams and larger bodies of water such as lakes (Ref. 79717). The male guards and builds nest or burrow (Ref. 205).

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

The male guards and builds nest or burrow (Ref. 205).

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: Version 2025-2)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 11 September 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

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
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Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
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Occurrences
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Anatomy
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Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
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Visual pigments
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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Taxonomy
Common names
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References
References

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Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Alien/Invasive Species database | 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 | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |