Whip eel explained

The whip eel (Bascanichthys scuticaris, also known as the sooty eel^[1]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).^[2] It was described by George Brown Goode and Tarleton Hoffman Bean in 1880.^[3] It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including the United States and the Gulf of Mexico. It inhabits reefs and coastal waters. Males can reach a maximum total length of 76cm (30inches).^[2]

Notes and References

1. http://www.fishbase.org/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=2638&GenusName=Bascanichthys&SpeciesName=scuticaris&StockCode=2834 Common names of Bascanichthys scuticaris
2. http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Bascanichthys-scuticaris.html Bascanichthys scuticaris
3. Goode, G. B. and T. H. Bean, 1880 (25 Mar.) [ref. 18135] Catalogue of a collection of fishes obtained in the Gulf of Mexico, by Dr. J. W. Velie, with descriptions of seven new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum v. 2 (no. 98): 333-345.