Biology:Antillian snake eel

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of fish

Antillian snake eel
Scientific classification edit
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 (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]

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. 3.0 3.1 3.2 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.

Wikidata ☰ Q2076878 entry