Genus: Myrophis, Worm-Eels

MYROPHIS

WORM-EELS

Elongate to stout, compressed; tail 58-64% of TL, its tip flexible; snout wide, depressed, overhanging, without groove on underside; eye large, its size affected by sexual development; front nostril tubular, rear nostril under a flap, opening into mouth; lips without barbells; teeth small, conical, not depressible, 1 to multiple rows, on jaws and central roof of mouth; gill opening small, at lower corner of pectoral base; dorsal fin origin before mid-trunk; dorsal and anal confluent with tail fin; pectoral fin well developed, broad based; lateral line complete, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head.

A circumtropical genus except for eastern Indian Ocean contains 8 species. The only species in the tropical eastern Pacific is a regional endemic.