Species: Ophichthus triserialis, Pacific snake-eel

Ophichthus triserialis (Kaup, 1856)

Pacific snake-eel

Robust, cylindrical; tail 53-58% of TL; eye large, about over middle of mouth; front nostril tubular under snout; rear nostril before eye, covered with a long fleshy flap that extends below top lip; snout overhanging; mouth large; teeth pointed, 2 rows on each jaw, 1 row on roof of mouth, no canines; gill opening vertical, semicircular; dorsal origin over rear of pectoral; tip of tail a blunt, finless point; pectoral fins well developed, larger than eye, with restricted bases - opposite and above upper half of gill opening; lateral line not abruptly arched at rear of head.

Tan, 2 rows of large dark brown spots on body, 1 along base of dorsal fin, and 1 along lateral line, spots in the 2 lines may alternate; dorsal fin yellow with a series of dark oblong spots along outer half; smaller spots scattered along belly and on sides and top of head; anal and pectoral dusky, sometimes with small dusky spots.

Size: 113 cm.

Habitat: burrows in sandy and muddy bottoms.

Depth: 1-155 m.

N California to Peru.