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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); fossoris: Name from the Latin 'fossorius' meaning adapted to digging..

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 12 - 32 m (Ref. 75633). Tropical

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Eastern Pacific: Mexico.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75633); 9.2 cm SL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 15 - 17; Vertebrae: 28. This robust species is of moderate size (4.8-9.4 cm SL) possess the following set of features: upper jaw sexually dimorphic, longer in adult males; a black stripe on the inner lining of maxilla and adjacent membranes; D 15-17, A III; 21-24 gill rakers on lower limb of first arch; multifid nasal cirrus in adults; upper margin of subopercle is extended dorsally as a broad membranous flap; presence of a small black spot at tip of first and second dorsal-fin spines, no ocellated dorsal-fin spot (except in juveniles); body with 6 wide brown bars, usually discontinuous with corresponding markings on dorsal fin, but not below midline; 17 (rarely) or 18 caudal vertebrae (Ref. 75633).

Specimens collected with ichthyocides (Ref. 75633).

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

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Bussing, W.A. and R.J. Lavenberg, 2003. Four new species of eastern tropical Pacific jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae). Rev. Biol. Trop. 51(2):529-550. (Ref. 75633)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 21 May 2007

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 20.6 - 27.7, mean 22.9 °C (based on 14 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 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).

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Opistognathus fossoris Bussing & Lavenberg, 2003