Biology:Pacific snake eel
| Pacific snake eel | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Ophichthus |
| Species: | O. triserialis
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| Binomial name | |
| Ophichthus triserialis (Kaup, 1856)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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The Pacific snake eel (Ophichthus triserialis, also known as the spotted snake eel in the United States [2]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[3] It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1856, originally under the genus Muraenopsis.[4] It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including California , USA, Peru, the Gulf of California, Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama.[3][5] It dwells at a maximum depth of 155 metres (509 ft), and forms burrows in mud and sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 115 centimetres (45 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 80 centimetres (31 in).[3]
The species epithet "triserialis" means "three-rowed" in Latin, and refers to the eel's spotted pattern.[3] The Pacific snake-eel's diet consists of bony fish, shrimp and bivalves.[6] It is frequently captured as a by-catch by shrimp trawlers, but is usually discarded.[5]
Due to its wide distribution, lack of known threats, and lack of observed population decline, the IUCN redlist lists the Pacific snake eel as Least Concern.[5]
References
- ↑ Synonyms of Ophichthus triserialis at www.fishbase.org.
- ↑ Common names of Ophichthus triserialis at www.fishbase.org.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ophichthus triserialis at www.fishbase.org.
- ↑ Kaup, J. J., 1856 [ref. 2573] Catalogue of the apodal fish in the collection of the British Museum. London. 1-163, Pls. 1-19.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ophichthus triserialis at the IUCN redlist.
- ↑ Food items reported for Ophichthus triserialis at www.fishbase.org.
Wikidata ☰ Q2352695 entry
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