Ophichthus ophis

The Spotted snake eel[2] (Ophichthus ophis) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[3] It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, originally under the genus Muraena.[4] It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda and southern Florida, USA, Brazil, Lesser Antilles, Senegal, Angola, and the Mediterranean. It dwells at a depth range of 21 to 50 metres (69 to 164 ft), usually at around 50 m, and lives in burrows on a permanent basis. Males can reach a maximum total length of 210 centimeters (83 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 100 centimeters (39 in).[3]

Ophichthus ophis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Anguilliformes
Family:
Ophichthidae
Genus:
Ophichthus
Species:
O. ophis
Binomial name
Ophichthus ophis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms[1]
  • Muraena ophis Linnaeus, 1758
  • Ophichthys ophis (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Muraena hauannensis Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Ophisurus havanensis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
  • Uranichthys havanensis (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
  • Anguilla serpens Shaw, 1803
  • Ophisurus guttatus Cuvier, 1816
  • Herpetoichthys sulcatus Kaup, 1856
  • Herpetoichthys callisoma Abbott, 1860
  • Uranichthys brachycephalus Poey, 1867
  • Antobrantia ribeiroi Pinto, 1970

The Spotted snake eel hunts nocturnally, and feeds primarily on octopuses and finfish, including Haemulon aurolineatum.[5] It is used as bait in subsistence fisheries, but is reported to cause ciguatera poisoning, and therefore is not usually used as a food source.[3]

References
  1. Synonyms of Ophichthus ophis at www.fishbase.org.
  2. Common names of Ophichthus ophis at www.fishbase.org.
  3. Ophichthus ophis at www.fishbase.org.
  4. Linnaeus, C., 1758 (1 Jan.) [ref. 2787] Systema Naturae, Ed. X. (Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata.) Holmiae. v. 1: i-ii + 1-824.
  5. Food and Feeding Habits Summary for Ophichthus ophis at www.fishbase.org.


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