Species: Letharchus velifer, Sailfin eel
front nostril = hole
brown + pale blotches, D white
tip = hard, finless
Letharchus velifer Goode & Bean, 1882
Sailfin eel
Elongate, compressed; tail 36-42% of TL; tip of tail a hard, finless point; snout sharply pointed, overhanging, without groove on underside; eye small; front nostril a flat hole; rear nostril opens in mouth; teeth slender, pointed, single series of 17-23 teeth on lower jaws and roof of mouth (0-6 teeth), 6-13 teeth in 2 rows at front between top jaws; top jaws with outer row of 8-13 teeth, plus 2-8 inner teeth at front; gill openings entirely on underside, converging forward; gill chamber puffed out; dorsal fin high, origin on nape; no anal or pectoral fins; lateral line complete, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head.
Dark brown head and body, body with pale blotches; dorsal fin white, with a dark margin in large fish; lateral line pores pale and in conspicuous dark areas.
Reaches 57.8 cm.
Soft bottoms.
Depth range: 0-90 m, usually below 20 m.
N Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.
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 only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Mud
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- GC endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Continent only
- Extends North of GC
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 57.8
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 90
