Ophichthus megalops Asano 1987

E, John, 2010, Deepwater Indo-Pacific species of the snake-eel genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of nine new species, Zootaxa 2505, pp. 1-39 : 28

Ophichthus megalops Asano 1987

Ophichthus megalops Asano 1987: 135 (Kumano-nada, Japan, holotype FAK 19057).

Diagnosis. A moderately elongate species of Ophichthus , subgenus Coecilophis , with: tail 55%, head 11.0%, and depth at gill openings ~4% of TL; dorsal-fin origin 3.5 pectoral-fin lengths behind head (more than 1 head length behind gill opening); pectoral fins elongate, not lanceolate; rear margin of orbit in advance of rictus; posterior nostril a hole above upper lip, covered by a flap; head pores conspicuous, SO 1+4, IO 4+2, POM 3+6; teeth numerous, small and conical, biserial on jaws, uniserial posteriorly on vomer, biserial anteriorly; coloration pale, slightly darker dorsally, snout tip and lower jaw darker, fins and anterior nostrils pale, and posterior region of anal-fin base black; vertebral formula 29/60/160.

Size. 332 mm, sex not determined.

Distribution. Known from a single specimen trawled in 360 m off Owase, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

Remarks. The species is known only from the holotype.

Material examined. This entry is based entirely on the original description.