Myrichthys breviceps

Weißgefleckter snake eel ( Myrichthys breviceps )

The Weißgefleckte or pointed tail snake eel ( Myrichthys breviceps ) lives in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, on the coast of Bermuda, the Bahamas, South Florida, Yucatan, the West Indies and northern South America. The fish prefer continental shelf waters of coastal and hold mainly in seagrass beds, coral reefs over sand between zones, but also in port facilities, mostly in very shallow water from one to nine meters in depth. In the largest part of the range they are rather rare and only locally common.

Features

Weißgefleckte snake eels are one meter long. They are covered by gray color and big bright white to yellow spots. The body top is slightly darker. Nostrils, undressed like all snake eels to short tubes. Weißgefleckte snake eels are often seen from the shore of tourists and held for sea snakes.

Nutrition

Weißgefleckte snake eels feed mainly on crustaceans. In studies, a crab quota of 86 % was found to be seven percent passed the ingested food from mantis shrimp and sea urchins. Most animals go at dusk to forage and browse on the seabed in small holes and cracks after their prey. They are often accompanied by larger predatory fish such as snappers and jacks, capture the fleeing fish.