title: Palespotted eel
text: # Palespotted eel
  
  The palespotted eel (Ophichthus puncticeps) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1859, originally under the genus Cryptopterus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including North Carolina, USA, the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, and Brazil. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 150 meters (0 to 492 ft), most often at around 5 to 40 meters (16 to 131 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 81 centimeters (32 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 60 centimeters (24 in).
  
  