Species: Scytalichthys miurus, Short-tailed viper-eel

mouth large
eye small, high, at front

Scytalichthys miurus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
Short-tailed viper-eel
Body cylindrical, elongate; tail short, ~ 36% TL; head long, snake-like; snout pointed, flattened, angled down, overhanging; eyes small, at top edge of head, well forward of middle of long mouth; teeth slender, pointed, 2 series on top jaw, 1 on lower jaw; front nostril tubular, rear nostril inside mouth in upper jaw; gill openings crescent shaped, low on sides; pectoral fins very small, their bases restricted; tip of tail a hard finless point; dorsal origin well behind gill opening; lateral line along body and most of tail, pores conspicuous.
Pale yellow, 2 rows of large, round alternating dark spots on body, 1 along upper back, 1 (smaller spots) along lateral line; scattered small spots on sides and top of head, along lower jaw; fins all pale.
Size: 97 cm.
Habitat: sandy bottoms.
Depth: 10-85 m.
The Gulf of California to the Galapagos.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
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- Bony fishes
- No Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s)
- Continent
- TEP endemic
- Continent + Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 97
- Depth Range Min
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- 10
- Depth Range Max
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- 85