Species: Echiophis punctifer, Snapper eel, Snapper spoon-nose eel, Stippled spoon-nose eel

Echiophis punctifer (Kaup, 1860)

Stippled spoon-nose eel, Snapper eel

Body stout, cylindrical; tail 52-57% of TL; snout short, conical; mouth long, jaws nearly equal; lips without barbels; eye moderate, far forward and near top of head profile; front nostril tubular, rear nostril a short tube before and under eye; teeth strong, pointed, in double series, largest at and near front, those on roof of mouth nearly continuous with those at front between top jaws, largest at front of jaws; gill opening vertical, on side, elongate; dorsal fin origin behind pectoral tips by > pectoral length; tail tip blunt; pectoral large, rounded; lateral line complete, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head; 3 pores low on preoperculum behind mouth.

Tan, a brown stripe along each side of the base of the dorsal fin; a red-brown stripe along base of anal fin; numerous small, eye-sized spots in 6-8 indistinct rows along body; smaller, more numerous spots on head; jaw pores and the 3 preopercular pores behind mouth in prominent dark spots; dorsal fin with diffuse spots, a black margin; anal fin with a prominent black margin; pectoral dark except at base.

Reaches 180 cm.

Soft bottoms.

Depth range: 0-100 m.

Gulf of Mexico to Brazil.