Common Name
Sleeper Cusk-eel
Year Described
Böhlke & Robins, 1959
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 111-117
Anal Fin: 94-99
Pectoral Fin: 15-16
Caudal Fin: 9
Pelvic Fin: 2
Gill Rakers: 6 in first arch (2 rudiments + 4 well developed)
Vertebrae: 65 (total)
Body elongated but relatively stocky with dorsal and ventral profiles almost parallel except for the tapered tail. Head profile convex. Snout projecting over mouth. A groove on snout between upper lip and anterior nostril. Ethmoid spine a short rounded lump. Mouth inferior. Jaw extending rearward to slightly past rear of orbit. Head pores well developed. Small villiform teeth present on the dentary, maxillary, premaxillary, vomer, palatine and pharyngeal. Opercular spine thick and directed upward. Dorsal and anal fins continuous with tail. Anal origin well behind dorsal origin. Pectoral fin short and rounded. Pelvic fins moderate and unequal (a little shorter than head length). Dorsal fin origin over pectoral fin base.. Scales very small in basketweave pattern. Head, nape, and back above lateral line without scales. Branchiostegal rays number seven. No pyloric caeca.
Color
Body and head overall translucent pale, without markings. Fins translucent pale. Gut and branchial area silvery-pink. Eye silvery. In larger specimens there is a faint anchor-shaped dark marking on the nape running to the base of the dorsal fin. Throat and gill area pale.
Size
Maximum size to 7.5cm SL.
Habitat
In shallow waters from 0-15m, but usually shallower (<2m). Inhabits shallow sandy areas near seagrass beds but also sandy areas in patch reefs. Most likely a burrower.
Range
The Bahamas to the eastern Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan, and Belize, eastward to Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles.
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.