Yellow snake eel

Yellow snake eel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Ophichthidae
Genus: Ophichthus
Species:
O. zophochir
Binomial name
Ophichthus zophochir
Synonyms[1]
  • Ophichthys zophochir Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
  • Ophichthus chamensis Meek & Hildebrand, 1923

The yellow snake eel (Ophichthus zophochir, also known as the charmed snake eel[2]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae.[3] It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1882.[4] It is a marine, subtropical eel known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and the United States.[5] It dwells at a depth range of 1 to 110 m (3.3 to 360.9 ft), and forms burrows in rocky and sandy regions. Males can reach a maximum total length of 98 cm (39 in), but more commonly reach a length of 50 cm (20 in).[3]

The species epithet zophochir, derived from the Greek term for "dark hand", refers to the dark colouring of the eel's pectoral fin.[3] Its diet consists of bony fish and clams.[6] Due to its wide distribution in the eastern Pacific, lack of known threats, and lack of observed population decline, the IUCN redlist currently lists the yellow snake-eel as Least Concern.[5]

References

  1. ^ Synonyms of Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.
  2. ^ Common names of Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.
  3. ^ a b c Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.
  4. ^ Jordan, D. S. and C. H. Gilbert, 1882 (6 Apr.) [ref. 2470] Descriptions of thirty-three new species of fishes from Mazatlan, Mexico. Proceedings of the United States National Museum v. 4 (no. 237): 338-365.
  5. ^ a b Ophichthus zophochir at the IUCN redlist.
  6. ^ Food items reported for Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.


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