Whip Eel
Bascanichthys scuticaris
- Least concern
- Card rarity: Common
- Fish
The whip eel (Bascanichthys scuticaris is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by George Brown Goode and Tarleton Hoffman Bean in 1880. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. It inhabits reefs and coastal waters. Males can reach a maximum total length of 76 centimetres. Whip eels are very similar in appearance to sooty eels, but whip eels can be distinguished by a row of small pale spots running along the lateral line.
Classification
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Bascanichthys