Species: Venefica procera, Atlantic Whipsnout Pikeconger, Shorthose Witch Eel, Shortnose Witch Eel

Venefica procera Goode & Bean, 1883

Shortnose Witch Eel, Atlantic Whipsnout Pikeconger, Shorthose Witch Eel

Elongate, cylindrical at front, compressed at rear; a long, slender pointed tail ~62% of TL; head 10% of TL; eye small 4-7% of head; front nostril a low tube near proboscis; rear nostril a large, oblique hole just before the top corner of eye, covered by a flap from its front edge; snout very long (from eye to tip without proboscis 42-55% of head) and slender; tip of snout with a large, relatively short fleshy, pointed proboscis (4-13% of head without proboscis); mouth long, ends behind eye; jaws long and pointed, with top jaw overhanging; teeth small, conical, in bands of ~4 rows on jaws; tooth patch between front jaws spade-shaped, completely exposed when mouth is closed, separate from jaw teeth by a slight crescent-shaped gap; roof of mouth with central, narrow, long (reaches under eye) patch of simple conical teeth; lower jaw teeth meet at front, fit into space before vomer teeth, when mouth is closed; pectoral fins absent; gill opening a crescent, low on side; dorsal fin origin ~over gill opening; dorsal and anal fins confluent with tail fin; lateral line complete, distinct, on head and body, ~60-64 pores between anus and head; tail fin with 14 rays.

Head, body and fins black to dark brown.

Reaches 109 cm

Lives on soft bottoms.

Depth range 832-2858 m.

Newfoundland to Surinam, possibly Brazil