Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Myrophinae
Etymology: Myrophis: Greek, myros, -ou = male of morey eel + Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335). More on author: Lütken.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range ? - 100 m (Ref. 5951). Tropical
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 35.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30499)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Pale brown, with a fine peppering of black spots on the back and sides of the body; ventral surface is light (Ref. 30499).
Western Atlantic: Bermuda and North Carolina (USA) to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the West Indies, and the coast of Central America. Also throughout Caribbean (Ref. 26938). Northwest Atlantic: Canada. Records from the eastern Atlantic need confirmation.
Inhabits seagrass beds from bays and mangroves to offshore reefs. Adults move to open sea to spawn. The species has considerable regenerative powers (Ref. 5521). Tidal creeks and brackish estuaries offshore to depths of 7 m (Ref. 26938). Reported from fresh water in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Mexico (Ref. 30499). Caught for bait fishery with use of ichthyotoxic plants (e.g. 'cunabi') along the north Brazilian coast (Ref. 34896).
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.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; bait: usually
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundance
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00127 (-0.19979 - 0.20234), b=2.94 (2.83 - 3.05), based on LWR estimates for this family-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 3.9 ±0.7 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (24 of 100) .