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Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Caecula: Latin, caecus = blind; caeculus (Ref. 45335).

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

Marine; brackish; demersal; amphidromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical

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

Indian Ocean: southern India and probably most other parts of the Indian Ocean.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7245); common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7245)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 126 - 130. Body elongate, more or less cylindrical, slightly compressed, with a hard tail; sharply conical head; anterior nostril a downwardly facing tube near tip of snout, posterior nostril an inconspicuous slit in upper lip, guarded by a papilla; eyes very small, inconspicuous; mouth large, extending well behind eye; small, sharp, more or less uniserial teeth; gill opening a longitudinal slit beneath throat with an extra fold of skin alongside; dorsal fin origin over gill-opening; very poorly developed dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 4832).

Inhabits estuaries and inshore areas of turbid waters. Marketed fresh and used mainly for bait.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McCosker, John E. | Collaborators

Castle, P.H.J., 1984. Ophichthidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 51). Volume 3. FAO, Rome. (Ref. 7245)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 04 November 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest; bait: usually

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00089 (0.00039 - 0.00204), b=3.00 (2.80 - 3.20), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.6 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (20 of 100).

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