Common Name
Polkadot Cusk-eel
Year Described
Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 99-108
Anal Fin: 84-87
Pectoral Fin: 16-18
Caudal Fin: 9
Pelvic Fin: 2
Gill Rakers: 2-3 rudiments +4 short rakers
Vertebrae: 14 + 43 = 57 (total)
Body elongated but stocky with dorsal and ventral profiles almost parallel except for the tapered tail. Head profile convex. Snout barely projecting over mouth. Ethmoid spine short. Mouth subterminal. Jaw extending rearward to slightly past rear of orbit. Small villiform teeth present on the dentary, maxillary, premaxillary, vomer, palatine and pharyngeal. Opercular spine well developed. Dorsal and anal fins continuous with tail. Anal origin well behind dorsal origin. Pectoral fin short and rounded. Pelvic fins moderate (shorter than head length). Dorsal fin origin over pectoral fin base.. Scales small in irregular basketweave rows. Lateral line incomplete. Head naked but with some scales anterior to the dorsal fin and above lateral line. Branchiostegal rays number seven. No pyloric caeca.
Color
Body tan to brown with many large brown blotches of varying size on the body in irregular rows. A distinctive semi-ocellated dark blotch above the upper gill gill cover. Gut pale. Dorsal fin edge with dark blotches on the margin. Anal fin largely black. Tail whitish Eye silvery.
Size
Maximum size to 13cm SL.
Habitat
Inhabits relatively shallow sandy bottoms from 10-50m.
Range
New Jersey to the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.
References
Böhlke, J. E., & C. R. Robins. 1959. Studies on Fishes of the Family Ophidiidae: II. Three New Species from the Bahamas. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 111, 37-52.