Opistognathus adelus, Obscure jawfish

Opistognathus adelus Smith-Vaniz, 2010

Obscure jawfish
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Opistognathus adelus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

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); adelus: Name from the Greek 'adelos' meaning dim or obscure; refers to the uncertain phylogenetic relationships of this jawfish.

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

Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 5 - 65 m (Ref. 85161). Tropical

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Western Indian Ocean: South Africa and northwest Madagascar.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 85161)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 13 - 14; Vertebrae: 27 - 28. This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: upper jaw is broadly rounded with a large oval-shaped supramaxilla, and maxilla with a flexible lamina posteriorly, extending 1.0-1.2 eye diameters behind posterior margin of orbit; D XI,13-14; dark blotch on posterior angle of jaws, including inner lining of maxilla and adjacent membranes; no ocellus or large dark blotches on dorsal fin; no vomerine teeth (Ref. 85161). Expanded diagnostics: infraorbitals relatively robust, 2nd and 3rd infraorbitals with large sensory canal openings, 3rd infraorbital with no suborbital shelf; A III, 13-14; vertebrae 10+17-18; scale rows in horizontal series about 40-41; gill raker 9+15-16 in adults (except 6+14 in two juveniles, 21.0-23.0 mm SL); posterior angle of jaws and adjacent membranes with a dark blotch that is visible externally; spinous dorsal fin with no anterior ocellus or dark blotches; pelvic and anal fins are dark, the latter with pale margin (Ref.128653).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

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: Version 2025-2)

  Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 19 July 2017

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 |