Ophidion dromio, Shorthead cusk-eel

Ophidion dromio Lea & Robins, 2003

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

Teleostei (teleosts) > Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) > Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels) > Ophidiinae
Etymology: Ophidion: Diminutive of Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335); dromio: Named for Dromio (The Comedy of Errors); noun in apposition.
Eponymy: In Shakespeare’s play: The Comedy of Errors, the identities of the brothers Dromio were confused throughout the play. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Lea & Robins.

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

Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 51 - 183 m (Ref. 81834), usually ? - 100 m (Ref. 81834). Subtropical

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Western Atlantic: USA. off Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 81834)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal soft rays (total): 116 - 129; Anal soft rays: 92 - 102; Vertebrae: 67 - 69. This species is characterized by the following features: D 116-129 (usually 119-125); A 92-102 (usually 98-100); pectoral fin rays 19-21 (rarely 20); precaudal vertebrae 16-17 (usually 17); caudal vertebrae 50-52 (usually 51), total vertebrae 67-69 (usually 68); gill rakers on first gill arch with 2 rudiments above, 4 developed but short gill rakers below; short, blunt and bulbous head; dorsal tissue of head usually flaccid, inflated; subterminal mouth; dorsal and ventral profiles of body nearly parallel for much of its length; unmarked body; short and unequal pelvic-fin rays, longer reaching under anterior third of opercle (Ref. 81834).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Occurs over sand and mud bottom (Ref. 81834). Reproductive strategy possibly similar to other members of this family featuring oviparity, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Lea, R.N. and C.R. Robins, 2003. Four new species of the genus Ophidion (Pisces: Ophidiidae) from the western Atlantic Ocean. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Scientific Papers No. 31:1-9. (Ref. 81834)

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

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 29 January 2013

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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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 |