Species: Callechelys bilinearis, Twostriped snake eel
gill openings underneath
Callechelys bilinearis Kanazawa, 1952
Twostriped snake eel
Moderately elongate; head and body compressed, 62-72% of TL; head short; snout strongly pointed, a median groove on its underside extends to front nostrils, slightly overhanging mouth; anterior nostril tubular, rear nostril in top lip under eye, opens outside when mouth is closed, covered by a flap; teeth small, pointed, in 1 row on jaws (8-12 above, 12-19 below), 2-3 present between top jaws and 7-11 on roof of mouth; gill openings low on side, converging forwards; gill chamber an expanded pouch; dorsal and anal fins present; dorsal fin high, begins on head at or just behind eye, and ends a little before tail tip; tip of tail a hard finless point; pectorals absent; lateral line complete, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head.
Blackish, with 3 white stripes – along base of dorsal fin, along lateral line, and along lower gill chamber, side of belly and onto tail; belly yellowish; head and chin mottled to dark, pale areas yellow.
Reaches 173 cm.
Sandy bottoms; open and semi-protected beaches, largely limited to islands.
Depth range: 1-36 m.
Bermuda to Brazil and the S-central Atlantic islands.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Beach
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Bony fishes
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends South of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- Continent
- All species..
- GC non-endemic
- Also in Brazil
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 173
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 36
