OCCURRENCE OF THE LONGJAW SNAKE EEL, OPHISURUS SERPENS (OPHICHTHIDAE), IN TUNISIAN WATERS (CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA)
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Keywords

Ophisurus serpens
morphometric data
meristic counts
brackish area
Tunisian waters

How to Cite

RAFRAFI-NOUIRA, S., BENMESSAOUD, R., CHÉRIF, M., REYNAUD, C., & CAPAPÉ, C. (2025). OCCURRENCE OF THE LONGJAW SNAKE EEL, OPHISURUS SERPENS (OPHICHTHIDAE), IN TUNISIAN WATERS (CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA). ANNALES, SERIES HISTORIA NATURALIS, 35(1), 145–150. https://doi.org/10.19233/ASHN.2025.18

Abstract

This paper documents an additional and rare record of the longjaw snake eel, Ophisurus serpens (Osteichthyes: Ophichthidae), in Tunisian waters. The individual, captured off Ras Jebel, was a juvenile measuring 330 mm in total length and weighing 19.8 g. This constitutes the sixth overall and fifth well-documented record of O. serpens in Tunisia, suggesting the successful establishment of a viable population in the region. The study provides a detailed description of the specimen, including morphometric measurements and meristic counts.

https://doi.org/10.19233/ASHN.2025.18
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