Ophichthus bonaparti (Kaup, 1856)
Napoleon snake eel, 75cm

This species is not often seen at Kwajalein, but when it is, it is usually just the spotted head showing from beneath the sand in lagoon sand and algae patches. We did catch one one on the surface of the sand during the day at the bottom of the sandy slope along the reef between Bigej and Meck. The first shot is a frame captured from video.

Like a number of other animals, species living in Kwajalein's white coral sand tend to be lighter in color than those from areas with darker sand. Below are some images of Ophichthus bonaparti from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Created 5 July 2017

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