Common names: snake-eel (English), tieso (Espanol)
 
Ophichthus zophochir Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

Yellow snake-eel


Body elongate, slender; tail 63-70% or more of TL; eye moderate, about over middle of mouth; front nostril tubular under snout; rear nostril a hole just above top lip, covered by a flap attached to lip; 1 barbel between front and rear nostrils, and usually 2 behind rear nostril; rear nostril opens just above lip or in mouth; snout overhanging;  mouth large; teeth pointed, 2 rows on jaws, and on front of roof of mouth, no canines; gill opening vertical, semicircular; dorsal origin over middle of pectorals; tip of tail a blunt, finless point; pectoral fin long, pointed, reaching past dorsal fin origin, with restricted base - opposite and above upper half of gill opening; lateral line not abruptly arched at rear of head.


Brown or purplish brown above, paler to yellowish below; row of pores on lower jaw in dark spots, lateral line pores of body unmarked; lower jaw, throat, opercular region and all fins dark.

Size: 98 cm.

Habitat: in burrows in muddy, rocky and sandy bottoms.

Depth: 0-110 m.

N California to the Gulf of California to Peru.