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); nothus: From the Latin 'nothus' meaning false or counterfeit, alludes to the erroneous initial belief that the female holotype was the sexually dimorphic counterpart of O. melachasme males; noun in apposition (Ref. 26893).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 92 - 100 m (Ref. 26893). Subtropical
Western Central Atlantic: off North Carolina (USA), Gulf of Mexico, and Cuba.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26893)
Dorsal spines (total): 10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 13; Vertebrae: 28. Anterior nostril a short tube without cirrus on posterior rim; posterior end of maxilla rigid, not produced as a thin flexible lamina; coronoid process of articular hatchet-shaped with dorsal margin straight; vomer edentate; inner lining of maxilla and adjacent membranes with conspicuous black stripe; spinous dorsal fin without an ocellus; segmented dorsal and anal fin rays 14 and 13 respectively; caudal vertebrae 18 (Ref. 26893).
Body shape (shape guide): elongated.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 1997. Five new species of jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae) from the western Atlantic ocean. Bull. Mar. Sci. 60(3):1074-1128. (Ref. 26893)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
