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Ophichthus gomesii (Castelnau, 1855) Shrimp eel |
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photo by
Sazima, I. |
| Family: | Ophichthidae (Snake eels), subfamily: Ophichthinae | |||
| Max. size: | 91.4 cm TL (male/unsexed) | |||
| Environment: | demersal; marine; depth range 1 - 450 m | |||
| Distribution: | Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil; absent in the Bahamas and most Caribbean islands. Northwest Atlantic: Canada (Ref. 5951). | |||
| Diagnosis: | ||||
| Biology: | Inhabits soft bottoms. Occurs in bays and backwaters to offshore banks, less commonly to 180 m depth. The most common eel on Florida shrimp grounds. Rarely consumed (Ref. 3795). | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 September 2014 Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | harmless | |||