Species: Callechelys springeri, Ridgefin eel, Ridgefin snake eel

belly spotted

gill openings underneath
Callechelys springeri (Ginsburg, 1951)
Ridgefin eel
Head and body elongate, compressed, 65-66% 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 (4-5 above, 9-10 below), 2 between top jaws, 5-7 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.
Body and head pale; head, body and fins with many rounded dark brown spots of varying sizes, those on snout and nape small, about eye-size, those on body extending around belly; large spots on upper back form saddles across the back.
Reaches 79.7 cm.
Sandy bottoms.
Depth range: 22-36 m.
N Carolina to central Florida.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
-
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Demersal
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Bony fishes
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent only
- Extends North of GC
- All species..
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Temperate (>35N)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Data deficient
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 79.7
- Depth Range Min
-
- 22
- Depth Range Max
-
- 36