Description: Up to 1000 mm in total length. not a synaphobranchid, but a
Nettastomidae (sharp elongate snout, dorsal fin is very high, and tapers unlike a synaphobranchid, pectoral fins may be absent or very small (usually these are prominent in
synaphos and held out laterally). My initial guess is
Nettastoma, maybe N. melanura, which is known from the
Gulf of Guinea, depth range overall 300-900 m. Item Type: Image Title: Eel Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Nettastoma melanura Behaviour: Swimming above seabed. Site: Atlantic -- South Atlantic -- Nigeria -- Usan fieldAtlantic -- Central Atlantic -- Nigeria -- Usan field Site Description: Equipment Depth (m): 750m Latitude: 3 deg 29' 00" N Longitude: 7 deg 28' 00" E Countries: North AfricaNorth Africa Habitat: Benthic Rig: Bourbon Diamond Project Partners: Total EandP Nigeria, Bourbon, Oceaneering ROV: Millennium 73 Deposited By: Mr R Curry Deposited On: 08 December 2009
Description: Nettastomatidae, Nettastoma melanurum
Body very elongate, scaleless, cylindrical anteriorly, compressed posteriorly and tapering to a point; anus before midpoint of body. Head long;anterior nostril tubular, at base of prominent snout tip; posterior nostril an oval hole at level of upper eye margin. Jaws elongate, the upper with prominent tip and longer than lower; rictus below posterior eye margin. Teeth in bands on jaws and vomer, their size diminishing slightly from inner rows to outer ones; no palatopterygoid teeth; plates of upper and lower pharyngeal teeth of same shape and size. Gill openings crescentic, lateral. Dorsal, anal and caudal fins confluent, well developed; dorsal fin origin over gill opening.Lateral line with 43-45 preanal pores; 7-9 before gill openings; 3supratemporal pores. Vertebrae: total 186-207 (larvae 186-211 myomeres;preanal 60-70); abdominal 56-59. Colour: (preserved specimens) brownish dorsally, pale whitish-brown ventrally; posterior part of dorsal and anal fins with a black margin; peritoneum black. Size: to 80 cm.
Item Type: Image Title: Nettastoma melanurum Copyright: SERPENT Project Species: Nettastoma melanurum Site: Indian -- Indian Ocean -- East Africa -- Cachalote Site Description: Seafloor Depth (m): 660 Countries: East Africa -- Mozambique Rig: Discoverer Americas Project Partners: Oceaneering ROV: Oceaneering Deposited By: Dr Daniel Jones Deposited On: 06 February 2015
