Common Name
Mocking Spoon-nose Eel
Year Described
McCosker & Böhlke, 1982
Identification
Vertebral formula: 142 total
Body elongated and laterally compressed, with trunk much longer than caudal region. Snout short, narrowing anterior to eye, and distinctly down-curved (spoon-nosed eel). Jaws fairly long. Anterior nostril a short tube. Posterior nostril covered in flap outside of mouth, above lip, and anterior to eye. Teeth are well developed with smaller fangs depressible. Two rows of maxillary teeth (outer row larger and inner row tiny). A single row of small median teeth. Lower jaw teeth in two rows with outer row larger. Gill slit low on side and immediately anterior to pectoral base. Finfolds low but well developed. Dorsal and anal fins not confluent; tail tip a finless point (Ophichthinae). Dorsal fin origin behind pectoral tip. Pectoral fins present, pointed, and moderately developed. Eye distinctly closer to snout tip than end of upper jaw. Body and head pores minute. Three preopercular pores.
Color
Life color unknown. Preserved specimen uniformly brown with small speckles. Dorsal fin with dusky margin. Anal fin pale.
Size
Only known specimen measures 41.8cm TL.
Habitat
Captured by bottom trawl at 183m on soft bottom.
Range
The holotype was taken off French Guiana.
References
Kanazawa, R.H. 1963. Two new species of ophichthid eels from the western Atlantic. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash, 76, 281-288.
McCosker, J. E., & J.E. Böhlke. 1982. Three new genera and two new species of deepwater western Atlantic snake-eels (Pisces: Ophichthidae). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 113-121.
Other Notes
Originally described in Mystriophis, which has a different snout shape and much larger vomerine teeth (McCosker & Böhlke, 1982).
Other spoon-nosed eels in area have distinctive spots on body.