Morphology Data of Ophichthus hirritus
Identification keys
Abnormalities
Main Ref. McCosker, J.E., 2010
Appearance refers to
Bones in OsteoBase

Sex attributes

Specialized organs
Different appearance
Different colors
Remarks

Descriptive characteristics of juvenile and adult

Striking features
Body shape lateral eel-like
Cross section
Dorsal head profile
Type of eyes
Type of mouth/snout
Position of mouth
Type of scales
Diagnosis

This moderately elongate and slender species of Ophichthus, subgenus Coecilophis is distinguished by the following characters: tail 58-59% and head 7.9-8.4% of TL; origin of dorsal-fin 3 pectoral-fin lengths behind gill opening; rounded pectoral fins; posterior nostril a hole in upper lip covered with a flap; inconspicuous head pores, SO 1+4, IO 4+2, POM 3+5; stout, conical and numerous teeth, biserial anteriorly and uniserial posteriorly on vomer, biserial on maxillary and biserial anteriorly on mandible; color uniform brown, paler ventrally, fins pale; mean vertebral formula 19/62/171, total vertebrae 171-172 (Ref. 84366).

Ease of Identification

Meristic characteristics of Ophichthus hirritus

Lateral Lines Interrupted: No
Scales on lateral line
Pored lateral line scales
Scales in lateral series
Scale rows above lateral line
Scale rows below lateral line
Scales around caudal peduncle
Barbels
Gill clefts (sharks/rays only)
Gill rakers
on lower limb
on upper limb
total
Vertebrae
preanal
total 171 - 172

Fins

Dorsal fin(s)

Attributes
Fins number
Finlets No. Dorsal   
Ventral  
Spines total
Soft-rays total
Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Attributes

Anal fin(s)

Fins number
Spines total
Soft-rays total

Paired fins

Pectoral Attributes  
Spines     
Soft-rays   
Pelvics Attributes  
Position    
Spines     
Soft-rays   
Main Ref. (e.g. 9948)
Glossary ( e.g. cephalopods )
Comments & Corrections
Back to Search
cfm script by eagbayani, 17.10.00, php script by rolavides, 13/03/08 ,  last modified by sortiz, 06.27.17