Actinopteri (ray-finned fishes) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Brachysomophis: Greek, brachys, eia = short + Greek, soma = body + Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335); porphyreus: Named for its purplish (= porphyreus) coloration when alive..
More on authors: Temminck & Schlegel.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 20 m (Ref. 42180). Temperate
Northwest Pacific: Taiwan and the southern coasts of China and Japan.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 130 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 42180)
Short description
Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 137 - 148. This species is distinguished by the following characters: tail 52% and head 11-14% of TL; body cylindrical for most of its length; dorsal fin arising well behind pectoral-fin tips; pectoral fins moderately elongate, about 3-6 times in HL; snout moderate; about 3.0 in jaw; jaws elongate, about 2.1-3.0 in head; lower jaw extending beyond snout tip; nostrils in very short tubes in upper lip and closely associated; cirri of labial fringe minute on lips of subadults, absent in large adults; center of eye behind anterior 30% of jaw; interorbital space narrow, less than orbit width; dorsal head profile nearly flat from level of midjaw to snout tip; nape and cheeks swollen, narrowing anteriorly from level of midjaw; cephalic pores inconspicuous; free sensory neuromasts not visible on nape; teeth conical; purplish brown when alive; lateral-line and cephalic pores (except mandibular) surrounded by fine dark punctations.
Observed nearly fully buried within a muddy bottom at a depth of 20 m (Ref. 42180).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
McCosker, J.E. and J.E. Randall, 2001. Revision of the snake-eel genus Brachysomophis (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with description of two new species and comments on the species of Mystriophis. Indo-Pac. Fish. (33):1-32. (Ref. 42180)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 125652)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
More information
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningSpawning aggregationFecundityEggsEgg development
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthLength-frequenciesMorphometricsMorphologyLarvaeLarval dynamicsRecruitmentAbundanceBRUVS
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00102 (0.00045 - 0.00234), b=2.97 (2.77 - 3.17), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Subfamily-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.1 ±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): Very high vulnerability (78 of 100) .
Climate Vulnerability (Ref.
125649): (0 of 100) .
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 27.3 [15.9, 46.8] mg/100g ; Iron = 0.241 [0.165, 0.384] mg/100g ; Protein = 19.4 [17.2, 21.7] % ; Omega3 = 0.476 [0.234, 1.142] g/100g ; Selenium = 31 [17, 60] μg/100g ; VitaminA = 5.32 [1.56, 17.36] μg/100g ; Zinc = 0.439 [0.320, 0.607] mg/100g (wet weight);