Species: Otophidium omostigma, Polka-dot cusk-eel
upper body 2-3 rows spots
D edge - black blotches
Otophidium omostigma (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
Polka-dot cusk-eel
Body relatively short, compressed, tapering to rear; head profile convex above; eye large; between eyes with thin crest under skin, leading to a short, sharp spine directed obliquely forward at ~45 degrees on snout; mouth large, under slightly overhanging snout; gill rakers: 2-3 rudiments above, 4 short rakers below; opercle with a strong, sharp, partly hidden spine; dorsal and anal fins confluent with pointed tail fin; dorsal fin 102-105; anal fin 82-85; tail fin 9; pelvic fin with 2 unequal rays, inserted under eye; lateral line incomplete; scales small, elongated, arranged in basketweave pattern, none on head.
Tan; a pupil sized black spot just above corner of opercle; 2-3 rows of black-brown blotches along upper body, upper rows meeting along upper midline of body, lower row along or below lateral line; dorsal fin with several black blotches along upper edge; anal fin broadly black along its base; tail pale.
Reaches 13 cm.
On soft bottoms.
Depth range: 10-50 m.
N Carolina to the E Caribbean.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Mobile benthic worms
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends North of GC
- Extends South of GC
- Island (s)
- GC non-endemic
- Also in Brazil
- Continent + Island (s)
- All species
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 13
- Depth Range Min
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- 10
- Depth Range Max
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- 50
