Yellow snake eel
| Yellow snake eel | |
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| Species: | O. zophochir
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| Binomial name | |
| Ophichthus zophochir Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
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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 88 cm (35 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
- ^ Synonyms of Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ Common names of Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ a b c Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Ophichthus zophochir at the IUCN redlist.
- ^ Food items reported for Ophichthus zophochir at www.fishbase.org.
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