Blackpored eel

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Blackpored eel
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Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Ophichthidae
Genus: Ophichthus
Species:
O. melanoporus
Binomial name
Ophichthus melanoporus
Kanazawa, 1963

The blackpored eel [1] (Ophichthus melanoporus) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). [2] It was described by Robert H. Kanazawa in 1963. [3] It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the western central Atlantic Ocean, including Florida, USA; the Bahamas, and Mexico. [2] [4] It dwells at a depth range of 51–460 meters. While the adults inhabit deep water, the larvae are laid inshore. [4] Males can reach a maximum total length of 70 centimeters. [2]

Despite its considerable distribution, the IUCN redlist currently lists the blackpored eel as Data Deficient due to a lack of information on its population, habitat preferences, ecology, and potential threats. [4]

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References

  1. Common names for Ophichthus melanoporus at www.fishbase.org.
  2. 1 2 3 Ophichthus melanoporus at www.fishbase.org.
  3. Kanazawa, R. H., 1963 (31 Dec.) [ref. 4901] Two new species of ophichthid eels from the western Atlantic. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington v. 76: 281-287.
  4. 1 2 3 Ophichthus melanoporus at the IUCN redlist.