Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Uropterygiinae
Etymology: Uropterygius: Greek, oura = tail + Greek pterygion = little wing. Fin (Ref. 45335); cyamommatus: Name from Greek words 'kúamos' maeaning 'a bean' and 'ómma' for 'the eye', referring to its tiny bean-shaped eyes..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated. Tropical
Indo-West Pacific: Christmas I. and the Philippines.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 38.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 130726); 40.1 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 141 - 149. This small-sized slender moray eel is characterized by the following characters: tail long, 56.3-61.1% of TL; eyes very small, 3.0-4.6% of HL, sometimes is reduced and subcutaneous; branchial pore, 1; maxillary teeth biserial; dentary teeth 2-3 rows anteriorly, biserial posteriorly; pre-anus vertebrae 56-62, pre-dorsal fin vertebrae 130-138, pre-anal fin vertebrae 131-139, total vertebrae 141-149. Colouration: body uniform brown; anterior nostril, gill opening, oral cavity, and head pores are whitish (Ref. 130726).
Inhabits anchialine caves. Hydrological measurements for water layers around traps in the caves revealed very low salinities (0.6-0.8 psu), which can be considered freshwaters. Although it is not known the exact water layer this species inhabits, it is highly possible that it lives in the
lower layer with saline water especially it was captured in the trap from the Whip Cave with another marine eel (unidentified Chlopsidae species) (Ref. 130726).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Huang, W.-C., T.-Y. Liao and H.H. Tan, 2023. Uropterygius cyamommatus, a new moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from anchialine caves in Christmas Island, Australia, and Panglao Island, the Philippines. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology v. 71: 268-278. (Ref. 130726)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (30 of 100).
