Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Dalophis: Greek, dalos, ou = torch, burning piece of wood + Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Bleeker.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic. Tropical
Eastern Atlantic: Liberia to Congo. Reported from the Casamance and Gambia River (Ref. 28587).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 53.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4455)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. Very similar to D. boulengeri. Dorsal origin very near behind gill slits (predorsal length 7.2-9.8% LT). Lateral line pores 73-80 before anus. Vertebrae: 184-191. Brown olive dorsal, whitish yellow ventral.
Burrows in sand or mud in shallow water near estuaries and in rivers (Ref. 4455).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Bauchot, M.-L., 1990. Ophichthyidae. p. 92-94. In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G. G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douces et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. tome 1. Faune Trop. 28. (Ref. 2846)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 23.7 - 28, mean 26.7 °C (based on 66 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5312 [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): 3.8 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (41 of 100).