Ophichthus gomesii
Shrimp Eel
NS
GNR
Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Anguilliformes (True Eels)
Ophichthidae (Snake Eels)
Ophichthus
Ophichthus gomesii (Shrimp Eel)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
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Characters
Moderately elongate, cylindrical anteriorly and laterally compressed posteriorly, with dorsal fin originating posterior to tip of pectoral fins and tail ending as a hard, finless point. Snout overhangs lower jaw. Lips lack barbels. Anterior nostril is tubular and has dorsal groove. Posterior nostril opens outside of mouth and is covered by flap projecting below lip line. Eye is moderate in size. Jaw teeth are small, conical, and biserial in young and triserial or quadriserial in adults. Intermaxillary teeth number 5 or 7 and are arranged in ring or inverted V. Vomerine teeth are slightly separated from intermaxillary teeth and are arranged in two or three rows extending as far as upper jaw teeth. Head pores are well developed, with six infraorbital, four supraorbital, six mandibular, two preopercular, and three supratemporal. Snout is 15% to 20%, eye is 8.6% to 12%, mouth is 35% to 53%, and pectoral fin length is 37% to 45% of head length. Head length is 9.6% to 14%, trunk length is 23% to 28%, predorsal length is 13% to 17%, and depth behind gill openings is 2.7% to 3.7% of TL. Total vertebrae number 138 to 153, predorsal vertebrae number 12 to 18, and preanal vertebrae number 44 to 52.
Color is grayish brown to slate gray dorsally and pale ventrally, with head pores pale, inconspicuous, or outlined with dark spots. Vertical fins have dark margins posteriorly.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from South Carolina to southern Brazil, including the northern Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies.
Northern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Near shore to 90 m and rarely from 421 to 457 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 665 mm TL
Males mature between 330 and 570 mm TL, and females mature between 335 and 577 mm TL.
Inhabits soft bottoms. Occurs in bays and backwaters to offshore banks, less commonly to 180 m depth. The most common eel on Florida shrimp grounds. Rarely consumed (Ref. 3795).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2014-09-16. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
Ginsburg 1951
Hoese and Moore 1977
Castro-Aguirre and Marquez-Espinoza 1981
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
McCosker et al. 1989
Leiby 1989
Boschung 1992
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Claro, R. (1994) Características generales de la ictiofauna. p. 55-70. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.
Bernardes, R.Á., J.L. de Figueiredo, A.R. Rodrigues, L.G. Fischer, C.M. Vooren, M. Haimovici and C.L.D.B. Rossi-Wongtschowski (2005) Peixes de zona econômica exclusiva da região sudeste-sul do Brasil: Levantamento com armadilhas, pargueiras e rede de arrasto de fundo. São Paulo: Editora da Universidade de São Paulo. 295 p.
Charter, S.R. (1996) Ophichthidae: Snake eels and worm eels. p. 93-99. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. 1505p.
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