Ophichthus nigroventralis Kodeeswaran, Mohapatra & Kumar, 2023
Belly spotted snake eel

Family:  Ophichthidae (Snake eels), subfamily: Ophichthinae
Max. size:  42.3 cm TL (female)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range - 400 m
Distribution:  Western Indian Ocean: India.
Diagnosis:  Vertebrae: 131-134. This moderate elongated species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: dorsal-fin origin slightly behind the pectoral-fin tip; pectoral fin lanceolate, slightly shorter than the upper jaw in length; head length 6.7-7.5 in TL; pre-anal length 2.1-2.2 in TL; tail 1.9 in TL; head pores - SO 1 + 3, IO 4 + 2, POM 6 + 3; teeth small, conical and pointed; intermaxillary with a rosette of 10 teeth; vomer with 6 anterior teeth in irregular biserial rows, posterior teeth 11 in uniserial row; maxillary with 24-25 uniserial pointed teeth; in fresh, body yellowish-brown dorsally, whitish ventral, abdomen with numerous minute black pigmentation extends up to tail, pectoral fin whitish with brown base; pre-dorsal vertebrae 17-18; pre-anal vertebrae 53-54; total vertebrae 131-134 (Ref. 130908).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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