Marble-toothed snake-eel
The Marble-toothed snake-eel (Pisodonophis daspilotus, also known as the Blunt-toothed snake eel) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Charles Henry Gilbert in 1898. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. It dwells in shallow waters at a maximum depth of 10 metres (33 ft), and inhabits sand and mud sediments and mangroves. Males can reach a maximum total length of 68 centimetres (27 in).
| Marble-toothed snake-eel | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Pisodonophis |
| Species: | P. daspilotus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pisodonophis daspilotus Gilbert, 1898 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The IUCN redlist currently lists the Marble-toothed snake eel as Near Threatened, due to the decline in mangroves in its range of habitat. The population of the Marble-toothed snake eel is estimated to have declined by 25% over a course of 10–15 years.