Ophichthus puncticeps
Palespotted Eel
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Anguilliformes (True Eels)
Ophichthidae (Snake Eels)
Ophichthus
Ophichthus puncticeps (Palespotted 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
Moderately elongate and relatively stout bodied, with dorsal fin originating anterior to or over tips of pectoral fins and tail ending as a hard, finless point. Snout slightly overhangs lower jaw. Lips lack barbels. Anterior nostril is tubular, and posterior nostril opens outside of mouth and is covered by short flap. Eye is moderate in size. Jaw teeth are of moderate size, conical, and biserial, with 17 to 25 in outer row and 13 to 24 in inner row of upper jaw, and 17 to 29 in outer and inner rows of lower jaw. Intermaxillary teeth are in three pairs. Vomerine teeth are slightly separated from intermaxillary teeth and are biserial anteriorly and uniserial posteriorly. Head pores are small, with six infraorbital, four supraorbital, six mandibular, three preopercular, and three supratemporal. Snout is 17% to 21%, eye is 9.4% to 12%, mouth length is 35% to 48%, and pectoral fin length is 30% to 45% of head length. Head length is 11% to 14%, trunk length is 30% to 35%, predorsal length is 15% to 18%, and depth behind gill openings is 3.7% to 5.9% of TL. Total vertebrae number 127 to 141, predorsal vertebrae number 12 to 17, and preanal vertebrae number 50 to 58.
Color of large specimens is dark gray to brown, with dark brown stripe along lateral line punctuated by pale spots. Color of small specimens is gray dorsally fading to white ventrally, with series of 18 to 22 evenly spaced white or pale spots along side.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina to Suriname, including the northern Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas, and the West Indies.
Northern Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas
Habitat Associations
Near shore to 219 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 927 mm TL
Males mature between 387 and 498 mm TL, and females mature between 383 and 927 mm TL
Occurs from shore to deep waters, but rare in shallow water (Ref. 7251). On the continental shelf of South America, this species is said to be common between 5 and 40 m depths (Ref. 5217).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-08-15. Resilience: Medium (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 (as O. ocellatus)
McCosker et al. 1989
Leiby 1989
Boschung 1992
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott (1991) Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (20):183 p.
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
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.
Charter, S.R. (1996) Ophichthidae: Snake eels and worm eels. p. 93-99. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. 1505p.
Comments On Ophichthus puncticeps