Australian swamp eel (Ophisternon gutturale)

Scientific name: Ophisternon gutturale Richardson, 1845

The Australian swamp eel (Ophisternon gutturale) is a freshwater fish of the family Synbranchidae. Native range: Oceania, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.

Biology

Occur in backwaters of rivers, swamps, and stagnant ponds. Inhabit soft bottom sediments in quiet, well-vegetated backwaters of brackish estuaries and nearby swamps. Found in lower freshwater reaches of rivers. Cryptic, nocturnally active species, which burrow in bottom sediments. The male guards and builds nest or burrow. The best chance of sighting this elusive fish is by spotlighting along thickly vegetated margins of suitable habitats at night. They are capable of surviving short periods out of water. A current taxonomic study of this family indicates this species probably should be placed in a new genus.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Ophisternon gutturale
Family
Synbranchidae (Swamp-eels)
Order
Synbranchiformes (Spiny eels)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
60.0
Common length
20.0
Environment
Freshwater; brackish; demersal
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Oceania: Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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