Common names from other countries
Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
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); challenger: Named after the Challenger expedition of 1872-1876 that provided the foundation for modern oceanography and the discovery of many new marine organisms (Linklater 1972), including
the jawfish described herein more than a century after its collection; name in apposition.
Noun.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 149 m (Ref. 128653). Tropical
Western Pacific: the Philippines.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 128653)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 11; Vertebrae: 30. This species is distinguished by the following characters: with a rigid upper jaw lacking flexible lamina posteriorly, extending 0.6 eye diameters behind posterior margin of orbit; D XI,11; A II,11; vertebrae 10+16; area above lateral line anteriorly with 3-4 rows of scales; body with approximately 44 oblique scale rows in horizontal series; total gill rakers on first arch 30. Colouration: spinous dorsal fin with a dark spot between spines 1-2 and extending to anterior margin of spine 4, the chin slightly dusky and no dark postorbital spot (Ref. 128653).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., 2023. Review of Indo-West Pacific jawfishes (Opistognathus: Opistognathidae), with descriptions of 18 new species. Zootaxa 5252(1):1-180. (Ref. 128653)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES (Ref. 128078)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).