Hunchback Shore Eel

Diagnosis: Pelvic fins rudimentary. Gill slit medium. Postocular pore 2, wide; anterior nasal and lacrymal pores present; posterior nasal pore absent. Vertebrae total 60-61, precaudal 22; last epineural on the 20th vertebra. Caudal rays 9-11. Dorsal origin over the anus. Body not transparent. This species differs from it congeners by a combination of its deep body (depth 7.8-9.5 in SL), which usually exhibits a gibbous dorsal profile, relatively large gill slit (3.3-3.9 in HL), large gill slit (2.9-4.4 in HL), prominent rudimentary pelvic fin with obvious fin rays, two postocular pore on each side of head, and unique color pattern. It is most similar to A. brevis, differing in its deeper and larger body, presence of a post nasal pore (usually absent in the latter species), more vertebrae (68-69 versus 61-62), and different coloration, where males of this species never develop a tigerlike pattern of irregular dark bars on the side of the head as found in A. brevis (Ref. 56640).

Collected from shallow coastal waters, in seagrass areas (Ref. 56640).