Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Brachysomophis: Greek, brachys, eia = short + Greek, soma = body + Greek, ophis = serpent (Ref. 45335); crocodilinus: crocodilinus in reference to its appearance (Ref. 42180).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 30 m (Ref. 42180), usually 0 - 2 m (Ref. 42180). Tropical, preferred ?

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Society Islands (but not the Hawaiian Archipelago), north to Japan, south to Australia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 120 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 116 - 124. Dorsal fin arising well behind pectoral tips; pectoral fins teardrop-shaped; snout very short; jaws elongate; anterior nostril in a very short tube in upper lip, closely followed by an ethmoidal pore, a barbel, and the posterior nostril which is in outer lip and entirely covered by a flap; labial cirri numerous, unbranched and slender in anterior half of lip of mandible, those posterior and along lower lip branched at tips; flesh above and behind eye laterally elevated as a ridge; dorsal head profile notably incised and medially constricted behind eyes, the flesh forming a narrow transverse ridge behind dorsal margin of eyes; head pores and lateral-line pores apparent; free sensory neuromasts visible as rows of small white spots on nape; teeth conical (Ref. 42180). Lateral-line pores and temporal pores typically in dark spots; smaller dark spots present irregularly on flank between lateral line and dorsal fin of larger specimens (Ref. 42180); brownish, lighter below and on fins (Ref. 3972). Eye small, colored like the head, and placed towards the front of the long mouth (Ref. 48635).

Generally found in shallow lagoon sand, rock and broken coral substrates at depths of 0-2 m (Ref. 42180). Benthic (Ref. 58302). Occurs in sandy bottoms from intertidal to over 12 m. Remains buried in sand with only the eyes protruding where it waits to ambush fish (Ref. 9710) and octopuses (Ref. 275). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McCosker, John | Collaborators

McCosker, J.E. and J.E. Randall, 2001. Revision of the snake-eel genus Brachysomophis (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with description of two new species and comments on the species of Mystriophis. Indo-Pac. Fish. (33):1-32. (Ref. 42180)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Not Evaluated

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

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Internet sources

Brachysomophis crocodilinus (Bennett, 1833)