Species: Lepophidium jeannae, Mottled Cusk-eel

Lepophidium jeannae Fowler, 1941

Mottled Cusk-eel

Elongate, eel-like, tapering at rear to a point at tail; head low, compressed; snout with well developed, curved spine at front, no fringes under tip; eye large; mouth large, broad, nearly horizontal; teeth on jaws small, simple, in bands, outer ones larger; no tooth patch at lower front of gill arches; gill rakers 2 (2-3) rudiments above, 4 developed rakers below; dorsal and anal fins low, confluent with tail; dorsal fin 133-140; anal fin 112-115 (110-119); pectorals on midside, 21 (20-22); pelvics each of two small threads inserted under eye; scales round, small, in regular overlapping rows; head extensively covered with overlapping scales extending to between or before eyes, on cheeks and opercle; lateral line complete.

Pale; exposed part of top jaw bone black; inside mouth & gill chamber pale; oesophagus black; a dark "ear" spot on operculum; numerous irregular small (most <pupil) dark spots on upper 2/3 of head and body; dorsal fin with a series of wide U shaped dark blotches separated by narrower pale interspaces along outer ~1/2 of fin, a row of dark spots along base of fin; anal fin dusky with black border; tail fin bicolored, dark above & below, pale in center.

Reaches 30.5 cm.

On soft bottoms.

Depth range: 26-280 m, usually above 90 m.

N Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.