Teleostei (teleosts) >
Perciformes/Uranoscopoidei (Sand dwellers) >
Ammodytidae (Sand lances)
Etymology: Bleekeria: He researched the fishes from India and Malaysia, 1862-1878 (Ref. 45335); murtii: Named for Dr. V. Sriramachandra Murty, a well known taxonomist and former Head, Demersal Fisheries Division, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, India.
Eponymy: Dr Pieter Bleeker (1819–1878) was an ichthyologist and army surgeon commissioned (1841) by the Dutch East India Company. [...] Dr V Sriramachandra Murty is a well-known fish taxonomist and marine fisheries scientist. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Issue
Status uncertain (valid or synonym of Bleekeria kallolepis) until a detailed study involving the type specimens of B. murtii, the holotype of B. kallolepis, and fresh specimens from the type localities is carried out (P. Psomadakis pers. Comm, 07/2021).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 20 - 50 m (Ref. 93118). Tropical
Eastern Indian Ocean: India.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 122106); max. published weight: 17.90 g (Ref. 122106)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 34 - 49; Anal soft rays: 12 - 16; Vertebrae: 56 - 75. This torpedo-shaped species is distinguished by the following characters: lower jaw protruding than upper jaw; D 34-49; A 12-16; total vertebrae 56-75; lateral line scales 80-108; pelvic fins absent; no scales from a medium band anterior to the dorsal fin and from the musculature at the base of caudal fin; longer head length, shallower body width and different colour pattern compared to its congeners (Ref. 93118).
Found over sandy bottoms; form schools and protect themselves from their predators (tuna Euthynnus affinis and carangids) by burrowing (Ref. 93118).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Joshi, K.K., P.U. Zacharia and P. Kanthan, 2012. Description of a new sand lance species, Bleekeria murtii (Perciformes: Ammodytidae) from India. Indian Journal of Fisheries 59(2):101-107. (Ref. 93118)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = No PD50 data [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00331 (0.00188 - 0.00582), b=3.06 (2.91 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 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.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
![Image of Bleekeria murtii (Murty\](/images/thumbnails/gif/tn_AMMODYT0.gif "Image of Bleekeria murtii (Murty\")
