Species: Ophichthus remiger, Punctuated snake-eel, White-spotted snake-eel

Ophichthus remiger (Valenciennes, 1842)

Punctuated snake-eel, White-spotted snake-eel

Relatively robust; tail 56-62% of TL; head 14-15% of TL; eye large, 9-11% of head length about over middle of mouth; front nostril tubular under snout; rear nostril a tube above lip, ending in a flap, extending down but not reaching mouth; snout overhanging; mouth large; teeth conical, 1 row on front of roof of mouth, 2 rows on sides of jaws; gill opening vertical, semicircular; dorsal fin origin before end of pectoral fin; tip of tail a blunt, finless point; pectorals elongate, pointed, ~ 25-33% of head length, with restricted bases - opposite and above upper half of gill opening; lateral line not abruptly arched at rear of head.

Grey to brown above, paler below; lateral line with a row of small, well separated white spots from above pectoral onto tail; front membrane of gill opening dark; dorsal and anal fins dark; pectoral fin dark, particularly the top margin and inner surface; anal colorless; juveniles paler and with paler fins.

Size: 83 cm.

Habitat: sand bottoms.

Depth: 15-280 m.

Nicaragua to Chile.