European Finless Eel

This species is distinguished by the following characters: tail 1.6-1.7, head 12-15, and body depth 56-83 in total length; preopercular pores 4 and there are 5 pores in supratemporal canal; teeth conical and uniserial on jaws, becoming biserial on vomer of large specimens, vomerine teeth 8-14; when fresh body ochre in color with numerous small dark brown spots, those spots forming a continuous mid-dorsal band, yellowish on ventral surface; the head with dark brown spots over a pale background, a prominent horizontal white patch beneath and behind the orbit; MVF 52-134, total vertebrae 132-139 (n=6) (Ref. 101270).

Vertebrae: 132 - 139

Occurs over sandy bottoms. Usually found imbedded in the substrate (Ref. 26335).

Burrows in sand or mud on the continental shelf (Ref. 4455); usually in fine sand (Ref. 101270).

Apterichtus caecus, the European finless eel, is a species of snake eel native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the Azores to the Gulf of Guinea, and into the western Mediterranean including the Balearic Islands. It can be found on the continental shelf at depths of from 10 to 40 metres (33 to 131 ft) living in burrows in mud or sand. It preys on other fishes as well as benthic invertebrates. Spawning for this species in the Mediterranean has been recorded in the early summer months of May and June. This species can reach a length of 60 centimetres (24 in) TL.