Ophichthus cruentifer
Margined Snake Eel
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Anguilliformes (True Eels)
Ophichthidae (Snake Eels)
Ophichthus
Ophichthus cruentifer (Margined Snake Eel)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Elongate, cylindrical body, anteriorly and laterally compressed posteriorly; snout subconical, overhanging lower jaw; lips lack barbels; anterior nostril tubular with dorsal groove; posterior nostril opens outside of mouth with flap below lip line; jaw teeth small, conical, usually biserial; intermaxillary teeth about 5; vomerine teeth in three to seven pairs; pectoral fin well developed; head pores developed; dorsal fin originating posterior to tip of pectoral fins; measurements: snout 20-23% of head length, eye 5.6-9.2%, mouth length 29-37%, pectoral fin length 20-30%, head length 6.9-8.7%, predorsal length 9.5-10%, trunk length 31-34%, depth behind gill openings 2.3-3% of TL; total vertebrae 144-155, predorsal vertebrae 14-19, preanal vertebrae 56-61
Grayish brown
Distribution
Western North Atlantic from Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Depth range 36-1350 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 467 mm TL
Males mature at about 300 mm TL, females mature between 200 and 467 mm TL
Inhabits offshore water (Ref. 7251). Males mature at 19.7 cm TL and females gravid at 22.7 cm TL (Ref. 40865).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-12-05. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest.
References
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
McCosker et al. 1989
Leiby 1989
Boschung 1992
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein (2000) Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE 155, 138 p.
McCosker, J.E. and Y.-Y. Chen (2000) A new species of deepwater snake-eel, Ophichthus aphotistos, with comments on Neenchelys retropinna (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Taiwan. Ichthyol. Res. 47(4):353-357.
McCosker, J.E. (2005) A new species of deepwater snake eel, Ophichthus pullus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), from Angola and Guinea-Bissau. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 56(36):669-674.
Comments On Ophichthus cruentifer