Common names from other countries
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Apterichtus: From the Greek απτερόν (apteron), without fins, and ίχθύς (ichtus, more correctly written ichthys; masculine), fish..
More on author: Peters.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 10 - 250 m (Ref. 101270). Subtropical; 45°N - 20°N, 26°W - 17°E
Eastern Atlantic: Mediterranean coast of Israel; from Utica Island, southern Tyrrhenian Sea;, from Madeira, the Canary and Cape Verde Islands; possibly from Angola.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 49.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4455)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 150 - 157. This species is distinguished by the following characters: tail 1.8-2.0 in TL; head 14-16 in TL; body depth 59-100 in TL; preopercular pores 3; supratemporal canal with 3 pores; conical teeth, uniserial on jaws and vomer; vomerine teeth 2-4; coloration reddish or brownish, tip of jaws black, belly whitish; sometimes a large number of small darker patches on back and upper side; MVF 73-154, total vertebrae 150-157(n=8). (Ref. 101270).
Burrows in sand or mud on the continental shelf (Ref. 4455).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Distinct pairing (Ref. 205).
McCosker, J.E. and Y. Hibino, 2015. A review of the finless snake eels of the genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of five new species. Zootaxa 3941(1):49-78. (Ref. 101270)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES (Ref. 128078)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
115969): 16.1 - 21, mean 19.3 (based on 52 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00089 (0.00039 - 0.00204), b=3.00 (2.80 - 3.20), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (39 of 100).