Genus: Caralophia, Slantlip Eels

CARALOPHIA

SLANTLIP EELS

Elongate, cylindrical; head and body 52-55% of TL; head short, rough-skinned, snout conical, blunt from above, no central groove on its underside, overhanging mouth; front nostril a hole with wavy inner edges; rear nostril in top lip, covered by a flap, opens into mouth; teeth bluntly conical, in 1 row on jaws, present between top jaws, 1 row on roof of mouth; gill openings under throat, converging forwards, longer than space between them on throat; gill chamber an expanded pouch; dorsal and anal fins present; dorsal fin low, begins on head midway between eye and gill opening, and ends a little before tail tip; pectorals absent; tip of tail a hard finless point; lateral line complete, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head.

This genus has one W Atlantic species.