Species: Pythonichthys sanguineus, Caribbean Mud Eel

Pythonichthys sanguineus Poey, 1868

Caribbean Mud Eel

Body circular in cross-section at front, compressed at rear; tail long (~75% of TL); long head; a low skin ridge on side of snout forward of eye; very small eye, covered by transparent skin; rear nostril slit-like, just before and above eye; front nostril round with raised rim; mouth large, opens at front, ends well behind eye; teeth conical to molar-like, in 2-3 rows on jaws and 1-several at front of roof of mouth; a pair of fleshy folds on roof of mouth and papillae on top lip before front nostril; gill opening crescent shaped, small, low on side; no pectoral fins; dorsal and anal fins very reduced, more exposed just before they join the tail fin; dorsal fin origin near gill opening; no scales; no lateral line or pores on head.

Color: skin translucent, reddish due to color of surface blood vessels; dorsal and most of anal and tail fins black.

Reaches 80 cm.

Lives in mud bottoms.

Depth range: 12-55 m.

Cuba to the Amazon