Ophichthus erabo, commonly known as the blotched snake-eel, is a marine species of eel belonging to the family Ophichthidae. This subtropical eel is found in the Indo-Pacific region, with its range extending to 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇯🇵 Japan, and 🇹🇼 Taiwan.
Characterized by its pale yellow coloration adorned with prominent rich brown semicircular spots, the pattern is more concentrated and frequent on the head of the eel.
The blotched snake-eel resides primarily on reefs and is adapted to a benthic lifestyle, typically forming burrows in the sand. It thrives at depths reaching up to 155 meters. Male individuals of this species can attain a maximum total length of 72 centimeters.
Why it's threatened
Although this species is found in some fresh fish markets in some parts of its range, it is not thought to adversely affect the population. There are no known major threats.
Threat classification from the IUCN Red List.
