Scientific Name
Trachinocephalus myops

Common Name
Snakefish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-14; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 13 - 18. Snout very short; mouth very oblique; body with alternating narrow dark-edged pale blue and yellow stripes; oblique black spot at the upper end of the gill opening (Ref. 2334). Eye far forward (Ref. 26938).

Classification

Classified By

Forster, 1801

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Grinners (Aulopiformes)

Family

Lizardfishes (Synodontidae)

Distribution

Region

Worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters with the exception of the eastern Pacific and the northeast Atlantic north of Cape Blanc, Africa.

Distribution

Worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters with the exception of the eastern Pacific and the northeast Atlantic north of Cape Blanc, Africa.

Range

40°N - 40°S

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

400 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 400 m (Ref. 9710), usually 3 - 90 m (Ref. 4472)

Trophic Level

4.39 s.e. 0.07 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

40.0 cm

Common Length

25.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 1.0000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (18 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=1.6; tm=2; tmax=7)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated