Species: Myrophis plumbeus, Leaden worm eel

Myrophis plumbeus (Cope, 1871)

Leaden worm eel

Moderately elongate, compressed; head and trunk 37-42% TL; 1 pore behind upper ½ of eye; snout blunt, broadly depressed, overhanging, without groove on underside; eye large, over middle of top jaw; front nostril tubular, rear nostril under a flap, opening into mouth; lips without barbells; teeth small, conical, curved back; a ring of 8-10 teeth at front between top jaws which joins 22-34 teeth in 2-3 rows on central roof of mouth; top jaw with 21-30 teeth in outer row, 5-7 larger, more spaced teeth on inner row; lower jaw with several large teeth at front, outer row of 22-30 teeth, inner teeth in either a short patch of 3-4 or a row of 4-11; gill opening small; on underside;dorsal and anal confluent with tail; dorsal fin origin before midpoint between gill opening and anus, behind gill opening by >3 times pectoral length; pectoral fin well developed, broad based; dorsal and anal fins confluent with tail fin; lateral line pores visible on head and trunk only, only a few behind anus, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head; 26-30 vertebrae before dorsal fin, 51-57 before anus.