Ophidion grayi
Blotched Cusk-Eel
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Ophidiiformes (Pearlfishes and others)
Ophidiidae (Cusk-Eels)
Ophidion
Ophidion grayi (Blotched Cusk-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
Head profile rounded, pelvic fins located under eyes; snout moderately blunt, slightly overhangs jaws, with small, blunt, anteriorly directed spine; mouth terminal, nearly horizontal, moderately large; upper jaw extends nearly to posterior margin of eye; villiform teeth in jaws, vomer, and palatine; outer jaw teeth slightly larger than inner teeth; vomerine tooth patch triangular; first gill arch with two rudiments on epibranch and four gill rakers on lower limb; operculum with strong spine on dorsoposterior margin hidden by integument; head 18.7% to 19.8%, snout length 5.1% to 5.7%, eye diameter 3.5% to 3.7%, predorsal length 26.8% to 27.7%, preanal length 43.8% to 45%, body depth at dorsal fin origin 16.1% to 17.2%, outer and inner pelvic fin rays 10.6% to 12.3% and 5.5% to 6.9% of SL; pectoral fin moderate size, rounded; dorsal fin originates anterior to appressed pectoral fin, with 133 to 144 rays; pelvic fin consists of 2 flattened rays; anal fin with 98 to 105 rays; caudal fin with 9 rays; body covered with elongate scales set at oblique angles; head naked; trunk vertebrae number 16, caudal vertebrae number 48 or 49
Light tan with dark brown spots and blotches arranged in two irregular horizontal rows; upper row extends from dorsal midline to lateral line, lower row from lateral line to just below midflank; some upper row spots and blotches coalesced into horizontal blotches; top of head and dorsal fin with scattered small dark brown spots; margin of dorsal fin blotched or bordered with black pigment; anal fin clear with black margin
Distribution
Western Atlantic from South Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico, more common in the northeastern than in the northwestern Gulf
Habitat Associations
Between 10 and 60 m depth
Biology
Maximum known size is 300 mm TL
Spawning takes place during the winter in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Uncommon species (Ref. 34024). Oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: High (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
Robins 1957
Hoese and Moore 1977
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Retzer 1991
Boschung 1992
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
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.
Nielsen, J.G., D.M. Cohen, D.F. Markle and C.R. Robins (1999) Ophidiiform fishes of the world (Order Ophidiiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of pearlfishes, cusk-eels, brotulas and other ophidiiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(18):178p. Rome: FAO.
Comments On Ophidion grayi