Common Name
Colombian Sand Eel
Year Described
Moreno, Acero P. & Grijalba-Bendeck, 2016
Identification
Vertebrae: 189 (100 pre-anal)
Supraorbital pores: 1+3
Body extremely elongate and cylindrical in cross-section. Trunk length a little longer than tail (~55%). Snout pointed and overhangs jaw. Underside of snout flattened with a toothed (3 teeth) median groove reaching anterior nostril. Anterior nostril tubular on underside of snout. Posterior nostril opens as a small hole in upper lip. Eye small over rear third of jaw. Jaw downturned and small. Teeth small and uniserial. Maxillary teeth 13-14. Vomerine teeth 13-17. Intermaxillary teeth present. Head pores well developed. Gill pouches and cheeks strongly grooved. Gill openings low on body and strongly converging anteriorly. Dorsal and anal fins present but low. Dorsal fin begins on top of head. Pectoral fin minute (base 12.3-24.7% length of gill opening), triangular, and low on body. Caudal fin absent. Tail tip hard and pointed. Lateral line complete.
Color
Strongly bicolored dark brown and whitish. Body grooves whitish. Fins unmarked.
Size
Maximum size to 47.7cm TL.
Habitat
Type material taken in the stomachs of electric rays in shallow sandy coastal waters (<10m).
Range
Known only from Colombia.
References
Moreno, F., A. Acero P, & M. Grijalba-Bendeck. 2016. A new species of sand eel genus Bascanichthys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the Caribbean. BoletÃn de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras-INVEMAR, 45(1), 7-14.
Other Notes
Distinguished from other species in the genus by vertebral count and pectoral fin size.