Opistognathus helvolus, Deep-water jawfish

Opistognathus helvolus Smith-Vaniz, 2023

Deep-water jawfish
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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); helvolus: Name 'helvolus' from the Latin word meaning 'pale yellow', in reference to the predominant coloration of the new species.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 300 m (Ref. 128653). Tropical

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

Western Central Pacific: New Caledonia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 128653)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 10; Vertebrae: 26. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: rigid upper jaw lacking flexible lamina posteriorly, extending about 0.4 eye diameters behind posterior margin of orbit; infraorbitals moderately slender and tubular, 3rd infraorbital much larger with short posterolateral projecting arm ending with sensory canal opening, suborbital shelf absent; nape and cheek scaly; D XI, 10; A II, 10; vertebrae 10+16; spinous dorsal fin with a prominent ocellus between spines 3-6; anal fins mostly yellow; body scales brown. (Ref. 128653).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: compressed.

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: 17 September 2024

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
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Internet sources

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 |