Oder Anguilliformes Family Ophichthidae(Snake eels). Big snout snake eel Ophisurus macrorhynchos(Bleeker, 1853). Max length/140 cm TL. common length : 60.0 cm TL Korean name/ba-da-baem(바다뱀) Japanese name/Dainan-umihebi Chinese name/大吻沙蛇鰻 Pectoral fin/14~16. PLp(preanal lateral line pore)/72~77. Vertebrae/203-210.
Distribution; West Pacific and Atlantic Ocean/South Sea of Korea, southern Japan, temperate waters of West Pacific and Atlantic Ocean General; Body elongated, slender and cylindrical. Snout very long and pointed. Length of the tail is about 1.6 times the length of the head and body combined. Caudal fin absent. The dorsal fin starts at the rear rather than just above the tip of the pectoral fin. The dorsal and anal fins are low in height and have a very long base and both fins terminate at just before the tip of the tail. The tip of the tail is hard. Mouth large, and the rear end of the upper jaw extends beyond posterior margin of eye. Teeth are sharp, and with fangs in front of both jaws and the vomer. The teeth; 1 row on front of the upper jaw, and vomer, 2 rows on posterior upper jaw, and 1 row on lower jaw. The gill opening is large. There are multiple fleshy ridges(wrinkle) vertically or horizontally throughout the body. Grayish brown in ground color, and silvery white ventrally. All fins are yellowish or brownish. Inhabits bottoms ranging from the inner bay to the depth of 500m. Use a hard tail to dig into the mud floor and enter into burrow tail first. It is not generally utilized as food but used as food fish depending on the regions, and mainly eaten grilled. Explanatory data on this species are deficient.
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