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); umbonis: From the notable projection of the cheeks ('umbo' = rounded protuberance). More on authors: McCosker & Randall.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Marine; demersal; depth range 14 - 18 m (Ref. 42180). Tropical
Indo-West Pacific: Indonesia and the Philippines.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 42180)
Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 103 - 104. Stout with tail 50-51% and head 15.5% of TL; dorsal-fin origin well behind pectoral tips; pectoral fins minute, slightly broader than long; snout short, about 3.2-4.0 in jaw; center of eye in anterior third of upper jaw; cirri of maxillary labia minute, those of lower jaw few, short and stout; interorbital space and top of head flat, dorsal head profile incised and medially constricted behind eyes; a lateral-projecting rounded protuberance about equal to orbit situated behind and beneath orbit; head pores distinct; teeth conical; preserved specimens yellowish, pale ventrally in head and trunk region, overlain behind nape with dense, fine brown speckling and an orange U-shaped band from gill opening to midhead and meeting across dorsal surface; (Ref. 42180).
Captured over sandy substrate and reef (Ref. 42180). Inhabits sand flats with patch reefs (Ref 90102).
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. 123251)
CITES (Ref. 123416)
Threat to humans
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningSpawning aggregationFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingNutrientsMass conversion
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969
): 28.3 - 29.3, mean 28.7 °C (based on 212 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00126 (0.00052 - 0.00302), b=2.91 (2.70 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic level (Ref. 69278
): 3.5 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 120179
): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Low vulnerability (10 of 100) .