Species: Ophichthus cruentifer, Margined snake eel

Ophichthus cruentifer (Goode & Bean, 1896)

Margined snake eel

Body cylindrical, stouter than tail; tail 57-62% of TL; eye moderate, its rear margin over or just before corner of mouth; snout overhanging; front nostril tubular, under snout; rear nostril opens just outside lip, covered by a flap; mouth large; teeth conical, small, no fangs, on roof of mouth 3-7 pairs at front, then 9-15 staggered to 1-row; jaw teeth in two rows; top jaw with 15-20 on outer  row, 10-18 on inner row,  plus 2-5 in a short 3-row patch at front, lower jaw with 17-25 outer teeth, 3-13 on inner row; pectoral fin broad (length 20-30% of head length), like a spatula, with restricted base - opposite and above upper half of gill opening; dorsal origin well behind tips of pectorals; tip of tail a blunt, finless point; lateral line complete, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head.