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Species: Ophidion holbrookii, Bank cusk-eel

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

snout to D profile straight
snout - 1 spine
two body profiles not parallel
D & A whitish + black margin
D 115-116, A 96-111
gill rakers 0+4

Ophidion holbrookii Putnam, 1874

Bank cusk-eel

Elongate, compressed; head compressed; head profile nearly straight from tip of snout to dorsal fin; upper and lower body profiles not parallel; snout with a small, blunt spine projecting down towards tip of snout; gill rakers: 2-3 rudiments above, 4 developed rakers below; operculum with a strong, hidden spine; dorsal and anal fins continuous with tail; dorsal fin 115-136; anal fin 96-111; pelvic fins (each with 2 rays of unequal length) inserted under eye, relatively long - reaching under or nearly under pectoral base; scales smooth, elongate, not overlapping, at right angles rather than regular series, none on head; lateral line along most of body.

Pale brown; fins whitish, dorsal and anal fin with black margins.

Reaches 30 cm.

Benthic on soft bottoms.

Depth range: 0-75 m, usually > 20 m.

N Carolina to S Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Mud
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Sand & gravel
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • All species..
  • Continent
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 30
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 75