Ophichthus lithinus

Rasel Mia, M. D., Selim, Shamsur Rahman, Rahman, Md Habibur & Islam, Md Jayedul, 2022, First record of Marbled snake eel, Ophichthus lithinus (Jordan & Richardson 1908) (Ophichthidae: Anguilliformes) from Bangladesh marine water, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 122 (1), pp. 37-42 : 38

Ophichthus lithinus ( Jordan & Richardson, 1908)

Marbled snake eel [ Fig. 2a, b & c ]

Material examined: RF2001SM-1, 1 ex., 693 mm SL, Bangladesh: Cox’s Bazar , Teknaf , Bay of Bengal, Saint Martin’s Island (20°36’39.6”N, 92°19’37.2”E), 01.01.2020, R. Mia & S. R. Selim .

Description: Body and head brownish, a large dark spot at mid-head; dorsal part of body with brown irregular blotches, ventral part pale. A white rounded band presents behind the pectoral fin origin and gill opening. Fin pale. Body cylindrical, elongate, tapering and laterally compressed posteriorly. Snout and tail tip pointed, barbell present beneath mid-snout, anus at midbody. Maxilla reaching well behind eye, lower jaw shorter than upper jaw, pectoral fin elongated but not pointed dorsal fin origins in the middle of the pectoral fin. Anterior nostril tubular and more or less half of eye diameter, head pore small, suborbital with 5 pores, infraorbital with 7 pores, lower jaw with 4 pores, preopercular with 3 pores, lateral line pores small and difficult to count completely. Teeth strong but short, conical and well separated from each other at base, anterior portion of maxilla with 6 teeth in rosette arrangement. Uniserial vomerine teeth in single row gradually decreasing in size, uniserial maxillary teeth and equal in size. Uniserial mandibular teeth, first one very small and others equal in size. Morphometric count and measurements of O. lithinus given into Table 1 and Figure 2a–c .

Figures

Figure 2.a. Jaw teeth of Ophichthus lithinus, b. Head of O. lithinus, and c. Lateral view of O. lithinus (SL. 693mm).