Ophidion marginatum
Striped Cusk-Eel
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Ophidiiformes (Pearlfishes and others)
Ophidiidae (Cusk-Eels)
Ophidion
Ophidion marginatum (Striped 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 straight anterior to postorbital region, pelvic fins located under eyes; snout moderately acute, slightly overhanging jaws; mouth nearly horizontal and large, upper jaw extending nearly to posterior margin of eye; villiform teeth in jaws, vomer, and palatine; vomer tooth patch triangular with apex slightly swollen; four or five gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch; operculum with strong spine at dorsoposterior margin hidden by integument; head 16.3% to 16.8% and body depth 12.2% to 13.6% of SL; snout length 24.7% to 28.6% and eye diameter 30.3% to 32.8% of head length; pectoral fin moderately large, broadly rounded, with 21 rays; dorsal fin originating over or slightly behind midlength of appressed pectoral fin, with 147 to 158 rays; pelvic fin with 2 moderately flattened rays; anal fin with 118 to 124 rays; caudal fin with 9 rays; body covered with elongate scales set at oblique angles, head naked; trunk vertebrae 15, caudal vertebrae 53 or 54
Grayish green dorsally, golden on side, and white on belly, with two or three complete dark stripes along side; side of head punctuated with brown spots, lateral line outlined by dark band; dorsal and anal fins with black margin; males with prominent crest on nape
Distribution
Western North Atlantic from New York to northern Florida and from the west coast of Florida and the coast of Alabama in the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Marine. demersal.
Biology
230 mm SL
Common species found in shallow coastal waters (Ref. 34024). Oviparous, with oval pelagic eggs floating in a gelatinous mass (Ref. 205).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
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
Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928
Fritzsche 1978
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
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.
Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein (2000) Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE 155, 138 p.
Comments On Ophidion marginatum