Family : Ophichthidae (Snake eels) , subfamily: Ophichthinae
Order : Anguilliformes  (eels and morays)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Ocellated sand-eel
Fish Name : Lamnostoma polyophthalma
Max size : 32.5 cm (male/unsexed; Ref. 1602)
Environment : demersal
Climate : tropical
Global Importance : fisheries: of no interest
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: Sri Lanka and the East Indies. Reported from the Marquesas (Ref. 12792).
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0. Body elongate, more or less cylindrical, slightly compressed, with a hard tail tip; sharply conical head; large mouth, reaching well behind eyes; teeth on jaws small, sharp and recurved; vomerine teeth larger; gill-openings strongly oblique, small, beneath the throat with an extra fold of skin alongside; very low dorsal and anal fins; dorsal fin origin about 1/4 head-length behind gill-openings (Ref. 4832). Color in life yellowish dusted with brown; upper surface of head and nape consisting of double row of yellow round spots, vertex with a yellow transverse streak; lateral line pores lighter than surrounding skin (Ref. 4832).
Biology : Inhabits estuaries, and probably inshore areas (Ref. 4832)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator : McCosker, John
Main Ref : Talwar, P.K. and A.G. Jhingran. 1991. (Ref. 4832)

India country information
Common Names : Ocellated sand-eel
Status : native
Salinity : brackish, marine
Uses : no uses