Aplatophis chauliodus
| Aplatophis chauliodus | |
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| Species: | A. chauliodus
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| Aplatophis chauliodus Böhlke, 1956
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The fangtooth snake-eel (Aplatophis chauliodus), also known as the tusky eel in Cuba and the United States,[1] is an eel in the family Ophichthidae.[2] It was described by James Erwin Böhlke in 1956.[3]It is a marine, tropical eel known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and French Guiana. It dwells at a depth range of 33–91 m (100–300 ft), and dwells in both marine waters and brackish estuaries. It inhabits burrows on a permanent or semipermanent basis, and leaves its eyes and snout exposed. Males can reach a maximum total length of 84 cm (33 in).[2] The fangtooth snake-eel's diet consists of bony fish and crustaceans.[4]
A dead specimen of what was probably a fangtooth snake-eel, or possibly a garden or conger eel, was found washed up on a beach in Texas City, Texas, US following Hurricane Harvey in 2017.[5]
References
- ^ Common names for Aplatophis chauliodus at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ a b Aplatophis chauliodus at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ Böhlke, James (3 October 1956). "Small Collection of New Eels from Western Puerto Rico". Notulae Naturae (289). Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia: 1–13. ISBN 978-1-60483-289-1.
- ^ Food items reported for Aplatophis chauliodus at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ "Fanged creature found on Texas beach after Hurricane Harvey". BBC News. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
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