Home · Ophichthidae · Wrinkled snake eel
Wrinkled snake eel (Ophichthus rutidoderma) — Ophichthidae

Wrinkled snake eel

Ophichthus rutidoderma
Family: Ophichthidae

The Wrinkled snake eel (Ophichthus rutidoderma) is a brackish-water fish of the family Ophichthidae that grows up to 95 cm.

Length
95 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
5.0–20.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Wrinkled snake eel is a snake eel (Ophichthidae) from shallow sand and estuarine water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 50 cm and has a slender, eel-like, pale body with a pointed, hard tail tip with which it burrows backwards into the bottom. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it lives largely buried and snaps at small crustaceans, worms and small fish. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Wrinkled snake eel?

The Wrinkled snake eel has a snake-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Wrinkled snake eel live?

The Wrinkled snake eel lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Wrinkled snake eel get?

The Wrinkled snake eel grows to a maximum of about 95 cm.

Is the Wrinkled snake eel dangerous to humans?

No, the Wrinkled snake eel is harmless to humans.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Rimpelhuid-slangaal sourced
English name
Wrinkled snake eel sourced
Scientific name
Ophichthus rutidoderma
Family
Ophichthidae
Other names
Olive snake eel verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
95.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
5.0 sourced
Max depth (m)
20.0 sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Ophichthus

More from the family Ophichthidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →