| Ophichthidae (Snake eels), subfamily: Ophichthinae |
| 4.98 cm TL (female) |
|
demersal; marine; depth range 15 - 240 m |
| Northwest Pacific: Suruga Bay and Kumano-nada Sea in Japan. |
|
Vertebrae: 141-145. This species is distinguished by the following characters: tail 1.9-2.1, head 14-18, and body depth 53-74 in total length; preopercular pores 3 and pores in supratemporal canal 5 (rarely 6); anterior margin of orbit is above or behind tip of lower jaw; conical teeth, uniserial on jaws and vomer (5 vomerine teeth); body coloration when preserved pale with dark brown or dark orange blotches on preopercle and supratemporal, smaller spots on body and tail, cephalic pores and lateral-line pores in conspicuous pale spots and MVF 66-143, total vertebrae 141-145 (n= 3) (Ref. 101270). |
| A deepwater species, specimens were captured using dredge and trawl between 111-240 m depth but underwater photographs taken from the sandy bottom at Suruga Bay (Japan) suggest that it might occur as shallow as 15-25 m depth (Ref. 101270). |
|
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 14 November 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| harmless |
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