Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenesocidae (Pike congers)
Etymology: Gavialiceps: Hindi, ghariyal = gavial, saurian of Ganges, 1825 + Greek, kephale = head (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 380 - 497 m (Ref. 44791). Deep-water
Western Indian Ocean: Gulf of Aden, southeastern Arabian Sea from Socotra, Yemen to Maldives.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 84.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44791)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 40; Anal soft rays: 283; Vertebrae: 220 - 231. Color is dark brown, head is black, gill chamber dark but does not show through the skin. The peritoneum is pigmented, the stomach is bright and long, but does not reach above the anus, its length is 1.2-1.9 times the length of the head (Ref. 44791).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Karmovskaya, E.S., 1994. Systematics and distribution of the eel genus Gavialiceps (Congridae) in the Indo-West Pacific. J. Ichthyol. 34(3):73-89. (Ref. 44791)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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