Find a Fish
Brownsaddled Snake Eel
Ophichthus bonaparti (Kaup, 1856)
The Brownsaddled Snake Eel lives in a burrow. It is sometimes seen by divers during the day, but will disappear down its burrow if approached too quickly.
This species is recognised by the pattern of orange and brown marbling and spots on the head and 18 to 27 brown saddles across the body. It grows to 112cm in length.
The fish in the image was photographed at a depth of 10m, at Lion Island, Bootless Bay, Papua New Guinea, by G. McNeil. Like many of the marine eels, this species has large tubed nares (nostrils) through which water passes to reach the olfactory organs.
Further Reading
- Anon, 1999. Coral Realm Species Profiles [online]
http://www.coralrealm.com/sample4.html - Masuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno & T. Yoshino. 1984. The Fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Tokai University Press. Vols 1-3. Pp. 456. Pls. 1-378.
