Ordinary Snake Eel

Description: Characterized by olive greenish to greyish color; head length about 8-10 in TL; body depth about 40 in TL; length of tail about 1.5 in TL; projecting snout beyond lower jaw, 4.8 in head length; with pectoral fin, about 4.8 in head length; origin of dorsal fin above rear edge of pectoral fin; dorsal and anal fins confluent with caudal fin; soft and flexible tail tip; small, conical and uniserial teeth on side of jaws and on vomer, biserial anteriorly; patch of about eight teeth in intermaxillary (Ref. 90102).

a cryptic species that lives in sandy substrates (Ref 90102).

產於印度至西太平洋一帶，包括日本、台灣、印尼等地。

本種產量不多，多為底拖網或底延繩釣漁法所捕獲，漁業利用價值不高，多作下雜魚貨處理。

全長為頭長的12.5-12.8倍；全長為鰓孔位體高的48.7-57.2倍；全長為軀幹長的3.7-3.9倍。尾端柔軟，具尾鰭；背鰭起點於胸鰭末端稍後；臀鰭於接近尾端處帶有明顯黑緣，背鰭則無此現象；齒細小，略為圓錐狀，上頜骨齒有兩行，篩骨及鋤骨齒則各有一行；從頭部沿著體上半側至尾部，布滿許多灰色小細點，腹側則為灰白色；平均脊椎骨組成：19-52-178，總脊椎骨數為177-179。

主要棲息於沿岸海域之沙泥底，以無脊椎動物或小魚為食。

The ordinary snake eel (Myrophis microchir) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1864, originally under the genus Echelus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific, including Vietnam, Japan, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, and Australia. It inhabits sandy sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 39 centimetres (1 ft 3 in).