Fangtooth snake-eel

The fangtooth snake-eel (Aplatophis chauliodus), also known as the tusky eel in Cuba and the United States,[1] is an eel in the family Ophichthidae.[2] It was described by James Erwin Böhlke in 1956.[3] It is a marine, tropical eel known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and French Guiana. It dwells at a depth range of 33–91 m (100–300 ft), and dwells in both marine waters and brackish estuaries. It inhabits burrows on a permanent or semipermanent basis, and leaves its eyes and snout exposed. Males can reach a maximum total length of 84 cm (33 in).[2] The fangtooth snake-eel's diet consists of bony fish and crustaceans.[4]

Fangtooth snake-eel
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Anguilliformes
Family:
Ophichthidae
Genus:
Aplatophis
Species:
A. chauliodus
Binomial name
Aplatophis chauliodus
Böhlke, 1956

A dead specimen of what was probably a fangtooth snake-eel, or possibly a garden or conger eel, was found washed up on a beach in Texas City, Texas, US following Hurricane Harvey in 2017.[5]

References
  1. Common names for Aplatophis chauliodus at www.fishbase.org.
  2. Aplatophis chauliodus at www.fishbase.org.
  3. Böhlke, James (3 October 1956). "Small Collection of New Eels from Western Puerto Rico". Notulae Naturae. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (289): 1–13. ISBN 978-1-60483-289-1.
  4. Food items reported for Aplatophis chauliodus at www.fishbase.org.
  5. "Fanged creature found on Texas beach after Hurricane Harvey". BBC News. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.


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