Ophichthus longipenis
Ophichthus longipenis, known commonly as the slender snake eel in Mexico,[1] is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[2] It was described by John E. McCosker and Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt in 1998.[3] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.[4] It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 69 metres (0 to 226 ft), and inhabits sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 58.7 centimetres (23.1 in).[2]
Ophichthus longipenis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Anguilliformes |
Family: | Ophichthidae |
Genus: | Ophichthus |
Species: | O. longipenis |
Binomial name | |
Ophichthus longipenis J. E. McCosker & Rosenblatt, 1998 | |
The species epithet "longipenis" means "long tail" in Latin.[2] Due to its moderately wide distribution in its region, its lack of known threats, and lack of observed population decline, the IUCN redlist currently lists O. longipenis as Least Concern.[4]
References
- Common names of Ophichthus longipenis at www.fishbase.org.
- Ophichthus longipenis at www.fishbase.org.
- McCosker, J. E. and R. H. Rosenblatt, 1998 (18 Dec.) [ref. 23645] A revision of the eastern Pacific snake-eel genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) with the description of six new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences v. 50 (no. 19): 397-432.
- Ophichthus longipenis at the IUCN redlist.