American sailfin eel

The American sailfin eel (Letharchus velifer, also known as the sailfin eel^[2]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).^[3] It was described by George Brown Goode and Tarleton Hoffman Bean in 1882.^[4] It is a subtropical, marine eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including the United States (North Carolina and northeastern Florida) and the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. It frequently inhabits scallop grounds. Males can reach a maximum total length of 51 centimeters.^[3]

American sailfin eel
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Ophichthidae
Genus:	Letharchus
Species:	L. velifer
Binomial name
Letharchus velifer Goode & T. H. Bean, 1882