Ophichthus melanoporus
Blackpored Eel
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Anguilliformes (True Eels)
Ophichthidae (Snake Eels)
Ophichthus
Ophichthus melanoporus (Blackpored 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.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Very elongate, cylindrical anteriorly and compressed posteriorly, with dorsal fin originating above tips of pectoral fins and tail ending as a hard, finless point. Snout barely overhangs lower jaw. Lips lack barbels. Anterior nostril is narrowly tubular, and posterior nostril opens outside of mouth and is covered by flap. Eye is moderate in size. Jaw teeth are needlelike and uniserial, with 12 to 17 in upper jaw and 20 to 26 in lower jaw. Intermaxillary teeth number 4 and are exposed when mouth is closed. Vomerine teeth are close to and stouter than intermaxillary teeth, number 8 to 11, and are in single row. Head pores are developed, with six infraorbital, five supraorbital, six mandibular, three preopercular, and three supratemporal. Snout length is 14% to 18% of head length, eye is 8.4% to 11%, mouth length is 36% to 44%, and pectoral fin length is 20% to 25% of head length. Head length is 6.3% to 7%, trunk is 22% to 24%, predorsal length is 8.2% to 9.4%, and depth behind gill opening is 1.5% to 1.8% of TL. Total vertebrae number 177 to 186, predorsal vertebrae number 11 to 14, and preanal vertebrae number 50 to 54.
Color is yellow to tan, with small brown spots on dorsal surface. Most of head pores and lateral line pores are darkly pigmented. Fins are colorless.
Distribution
Western North Atlantic from North Carolina to the Straits of Florida and in the northern Gulf of Mexico to Corpus Christi, Texas.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Habitat Associations
Depth range: 51 to 460 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 693 mm TL
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-02-04. 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
Kanazawa 1963
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
McCosker et al. 1989
Leiby 1989
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.
Bogutskaya, N.G. (2007) Preliminary assignment of coordinates to type localities in the Catalog of Fishes. Unpublished dbf file.
Comments On Ophichthus melanoporus