Genus: Echiophis, Spoon-Nose Eels
eye forward, near top
strong, pointed teeth
ECHIOPHIS
SPOON-NOSE EELS
Body stout, cylindrical; tail 52-57% of TL; snout short, conical; eye moderate, far forward and near top of head profile; front nostril tubular, rear nostril a short tube before and under eye; mouth long, jaws nearly equal; teeth strong, pointed, in double series on jaws and roof of mouth, largest are fangs at and near front, those on roof of mouth nearly continuous with those at front between top jaws; lips without barbels; gill opening vertical, on side, elongate; dorsal fin origin behind pectoral tips; tail tip blunt; pectoral large and rounded; lateral line complete, lines of each side of head connected by 2 canals with across top of head.
A tropical new world genus with 5 species, 2 in the Atlantic (one of which occurs in the eastern Atlantic) and 1-2 endemic to our region.
