Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) fish species and information / pictures of Gulf toadfish - Opsanus beta

Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) fish species information

Scientific Name
Opsanus beta

Common Name
Gulf toadfish

Biology
Commonly found in seagrass beds and rocky cuts in coastal bays and lagoons, and in shallows along open coast. In western coast of Florida, adults spawn in February and March (Ref. 26938). Nesting males produce grunt calls called the boatwhistle as advertisement of competition among males and to attract females (Ref. 45338). Neither opercular nor dorsal gland is venomous (Ref. 57406).

Classification

Classified By

Goode & Bean, 1880

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Toadfishes (Batrachoidiformes)

Family

Toadfishes (Batrachoididae)

Distribution

Region

Western Central Atlantic

Distribution

Western Central Atlantic: Florida (USA), Little Bahama Bank (Bahamas) and the entire Gulf of Mexico to Campeche, Mexico.

Range

35°N - 15°N, 98°W - 74°W

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; demersal

Trophic Level

3.69 s.e. 0.61 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

30.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5156 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (19 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.218; tm=1+)

Threat To Humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 31174)

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated