Description

Vertebrae: 158 - 162. Body uniformly grayish or brown to nearly black. Dorsal fin origin well behind pectoral fin tips; pectoral fin rounded, not elongate and well-developed. Posterior nostril a hole above the upper lip, covered by a flap that extends to or below the edge of the mouth. Upper lip lacks barbels between anterior and posterior nostrils. Pores small but conspicuous, SO 1 + 4, IO 4 + 2, POM 6 +2. Teeth small and conical, biserial on anterior vomer and jaws (Ref. 40865).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Anguilliformes

Family: Ophichthidae

Genus: Ophichthus

Species: Ophichthus aphotistos McCosker & Chen, 2000

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

This species is captured by trawl over sand and muddy bottom between 36-1350 and observed from submersibles to be most abundant between 250-350 m, with only the heads exposed over sandy substrates or resting on the sediment with their bodies in S-shaped curves (Ref. 86730). Mature females collected 48-62.8 cm TL (Ref. 40865).

Habitat

bathydemersal