Main identification features
- no head barbels
- dorsal fin - origin after paddle pectoral
- tail ~60 percent total length
- head pores - black rings
- body - thin pale bars
Moderately robust; tail 60-62% of total length; head 11-12% of total length; no head barbels; dorsal fin origin well behind pectoral tips; pectorals rounded, paddle shaped; front nostrils tubular, rear nostril a hole above top lip, covered by a flap that extends to or below edge of mouth; head pores conspicuous; teeth conical, 1 row on roof of mouth (which ends under eye) and side of lower jaw, 2 rows on side of top jaw.
Brown above, paler below, paler below; body with irregular asymmetrical narrow pale bars; head pores in wide black rings, but lateral line pores not; front of dorsal fin with broad black margin, rest of fin with thin dark margin; anal and pectorals colorless
Size: grows to 27 cm.
Habitat: benthic on soft bottoms.
Depth: 70-244 m.
Known from Costa Rica to Colombia.
Attributes
Abundance: Common.
Cites: Not listed.
Climate Zone: Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo).
Depth Range Max: 244 m.
Depth Range Min: 70 m.
Diet: bony fishes; mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs); octopus/squid/cuttlefish.
Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=10; Southern limit=5; Western limit=-86; Eastern limit=-78; Latitudinal range=5; Longitudinal range=8.
Egg Type: Pelagic; Pelagic larva.
Feeding Group: Carnivore.
FishBase Habitat: Demersal.
Global Endemism: East Pacific endemic; Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic; All species.
Habitat: Sand & gravel; Mud; Soft bottom (mud, sand,gravel, beach, estuary & mangrove); Soft bottom only.
Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.
IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed.
Length Max: 27 cm.
Regional Endemism: Continental TEP endemic; Panamic province endemic; Continent only; Continent; TEP endemic; All species.
Residency: Resident.
Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.
Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;
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- McCosker , J.E. and Rosenblatt, R.H., 1998., A revision of the Eastern pacific snake-Eel genus Ophichthus (anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) With the Description of Six New Species., Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 50:397-432.
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