Palespotted eel

The palespotted eel (Ophichthus puncticeps) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1859, originally under the genus Cryptopterus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including North Carolina, USA, the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, and Brazil. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 150 m, most often at around 5 to 40 m. Males can reach a maximum total length of 81 cm, but more commonly reach a TL of 60 cm.