Palespotted eel

Palespotted eel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Division: Teleostei
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Ophichthidae
Genus: Ophichthus
Species:
O. puncticeps
Binomial name
Ophichthus puncticeps
(Kaup, 1859)
Synonyms
  • Cryptopterus puncticeps Kaup, 1859
  • Ophichthys guttifer Bean & Dresel, 1884
  • Ophichthys retropinnis Eigenmann, 1887

The palespotted eel (Ophichthus puncticeps) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1859, originally under the genus Cryptopterus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including North Carolina, USA, the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, and Brazil. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 150 meters (0 to 492 ft), most often at around 5 to 40 meters (16 to 131 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 81 centimeters (32 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 60 centimeters (24 in).

References

  1. ↑ Synonyms of Ophichthus puncticeps at www.fishbase.org.
  2. ↑ Common names of Ophichthus puncticeps at www.fishbase.org.
  3. 1 2 Ophichthus puncticeps at www.fishbase.org.
  4. ↑ Kaup, J. J., 1859 [ref. 2586] Neue aalaehnliche Fische des Hamburger Museums, beschriebén und abgebildet. Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der Naturwissenschaften herausgegeben von dem Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein in Hamburg v. 4 (no. 2): 1-29 + suppl. 1-4, Pls. 1-5.