Teleostei (teleosts) >
Ovalentaria/misc (Various families in series Ovalentaria) >
Opistognathidae (Jawfishes)
Etymology: Opistognathus: Greek, opisthe = behind + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335); to the very elongate upper jaw of the type species of the genus, Opistognathus nigromarginatus (Ref. 128653); cyanospilotus: Nmae from Greek 'kyaneos' meaning dark blue and 'spilotos' for spotted, in reference to the characteristic blue markings on the head..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 12 - 30 m (Ref. 81517). Tropical
Eastern Indian Ocean: Thailand (Andman Sea) and Indonesia (Sumatra).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 81517); 11.6 cm SL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15; Vertebrae: 29. This species is distinguished by the following characters: moderately elongate supramaxilla and mostly rigid maxilla with only a slight flexible lamina posteriorly extending about 0.9-1.2 eye diameters behind posterior margin of orbit; D XI,15-16; A III,15; vertebrae 10+19; gill rakers 11-12+21-23; infraorbitals are moderately robust, the second and third with large sensory canal openings, third infraorbital with large suborbital shelf; lateral-line ends below verticals between sixth to eighth segmented dorsal-fin rays; caudal vertebrae 19. Colouration: upper jaw's inner lining and adjacent membranes with a black blotch; when alive, the opercle, cheeks and upper jaw with prominent blue spots or blotches; no dark blotches on body and dorsal fin (Ref. 81517, 128653).
Found in sand/rubble bottoms among reefs in 12-30 m (Ref 90102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 2023. Review of Indo-West Pacific jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae), with descriptions of 18 new species. Zootaxa 5252(1):1-180. (Ref. 128653)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 28.2 - 29.2, mean 28.8 °C (based on 142 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
