Antillian snake eel

The Antillian snake eel (Ophichthus spinicauda, also known commonly as the spinefin snake eel or the banded snake eel[2]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[3] It was described by John Roxborough Norman in 1922.[4] It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the western central Atlantic Ocean, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, and Venezuela. It is known to dwell at a maximum depth of 300 meters, and inhabits coastal waters. Males can reach a maximum total length of 107 centimeters, but more commonly reach a TL of 70 cm.[3]

Antillian snake eel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Ophichthidae
Genus: Ophichthus
Species:
O. spinicauda
Binomial name
Ophichthus spinicauda
(Norman, 1922)
Synonyms[1]
  • Acanthenchelys spinicauda Norman, 1922
  • Ophychthus spinicauda (Norman, 1922)
  • Ophichthus zonatus Howell Rivero, 1932

The Antillian snake eel is of minor commercial interest to fisheries.[3]

References
  1. Synonyms of Ophichthus spinicauda at www.fishbase.org.
  2. Common names for Ophichthus spinicauda at www.fishbase.org.
  3. Ophichthus spinicauda at www.fishbase.org.
  4. Norman, J. R., 1922 (1 Sept.) [ref. 3211] A new eel from Tobago. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 9) v. 10 (no. 57): 296-297.


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