Teleostei (teleosts) >
Ovalentaria/misc (Various families in series Ovalentaria) >
Opistognathidae (Jawfishes)
Etymology: Opistognathus: Greek, opisthe = behind + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335); to the very elongate upper jaw of the type species of the genus, Opistognathus nigromarginatus (Ref. 128653).
More on authors: Jordan & Gilbert.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 10 - 91 m (Ref. 129348). Tropical; - 6°N
Western Atlantic: South Carolina, Gulf of Mexico, Greater Antilles and northern South America to Brazil.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 12.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 129348)
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 12. This species is distinguished by he following set of characters: anterior nostril is a short tube without a cirrus on posterior rim; posterior end of maxilla is rigid, not produced as a thin flexible lamina; with supramaxilla; subopercle without a broad, fan-like flap; most of nape without sensory pores; D XI,12-13, with spines thin and flexible, usually curved distally, the tips without pale, slightly swollen tabs, and anterior 5-8 soft rays unbranched; dorsal fin sexually dimorphic, fin rays distinctly higher in large males; A III, 12, with 7-10 anterior rays unbranched; outermost segmented pelvic-fin ray tightly bound to adjacent ray and interradial membrane not incised distally; body with 63-87 oblique scales in longitudinal series; vertebrae 10+16; supraneurals 1; gill rakers 13-17 + 22-28 = 35-45; dentary without large canines. Colouration: head and body brown to
greenish-tan; the upper lip blue; body with two narrow blue stripes on side; distal margins of dorsal and anal fins are with narrow blue stripe; outer margin of caudal fin and outer ray of pelvic fin blue (Ref. 129348).
Cross section: oval.
Occur in rubble-sand bottoms near coral reefs and rocky areas. and it has been observed in burrows or resting on the bottom (Ref. 129348).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Smith-Vaniz, W.F,, L. Tornabene and R.M. Macieira, 2018. Review of Brazilian jawfishes of the genus Opistognathus with descriptions of two new species (Teleostei, Opistognathidae). ZooKeys No. 794: 95-133. (Ref. 129348)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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