Common Name
Academy Eel
Year Described
Böhlke, 1968
Identification
Vertebrae: 123-132
Body elongate and cylindrical in cross-section. Trunk a little shorter than tail. Snout strongly pointed and overhangs jaw. Underside of snout flat with grooves (short median groove well short of anterior nostril). Anterior nostril tubular on underside of snout. Posterior nostril opens near eye on upper lip. Eye small and towards tip of snout. Jaw downturned. Teeth small and uniserial. Maxillary teeth 27-36. Dentary teeth 28-35. Vomerine teeth 3-4. Gill openings low on body and converging anteriorly. Dorsal and anal fins absent. Pectoral and caudal fins absent. Tail tip hard and pointed. Lateral line complete (53-58 pores). Five sensory pores on back of head, four on preopercle.
Color
Body tan to brown with a fine network of cream reticulations and fine brown pepper dots. Cream blotches on the head separated by darker brown blotches. Lateral line pale. Snout pinkish. Eye white.
Size
Maximum size to 41.5cm TL.
Habitat
Sandy bottoms in shallow water from 0-38m.
Range
North Carolina to Brazil, including the Caribbean Sea and Bermuda.
References
McCosker, J.E. & Y. Hibino. 2015. A review of the finless snake eels of the genus Apterichtus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of five new species. Zootaxa 3941(1):49-78.
Other Notes
Can be distinguished from Apterichtus kendalli by pore and vertebral counts.