Myrichthys breviceps

Myrichthys breviceps
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Ophichthidae
Genus:	Myrichthys
Species:	M. breviceps
Binomial name
	Myrichthys breviceps; (J. Richardson, 1848)
Synonyms
	Myrichthys acuminatus; Leptocephalus undulatus

Myrichthys breviceps (syn. M. acuminatus), the sharptail snake-eel, is a fish species native to the Western Atlantic.

It has diffuse, yellow spots on a blueish-gray back and white belly. Spots are small on the head, larger on the body. The eel occurs not uncommonly along the coasts of the Caribbean sea, on sea grass beds and on reefs. Although mainly night active, they may also be seen foraging during daylight. Food is small invertebrates like crabs.

They allow close approach by divers and can easily be photographed, but bury in the sand when bothered.^[1]

Close-up of sharptail eel, Douglas Bay, Dominica, 2012

References[]

^ Humann, P. and Deloach, N.: Reef fish identification Florida Caribbean Bahamas, Jacksonville (Fl.), New World Publications, 3rd Printing, 2006

Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2011). "Myrichthys breviceps" in FishBase. June 2011 version.

External links[]

Photos of Myrichthys breviceps on Sealife Collection

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[1] Humann, P. and Deloach, N.: Reef fish identification Florida Caribbean Bahamas, Jacksonville (Fl.), New World Publications, 3rd Printing, 2006

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