Ophichthus longipenis, known commonly as the slender snake eel in Mexico,[1] is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[2] It was described by John E. McCosker and Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt in 1998.[3] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.[4] It dwells at a depth range of 0mto69mm (00feetto226feetm), and inhabits sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 58.7cm (23.1inches).[2]
The species epithet "longipenis" means "long tail" in Latin.[2] Due to its moderately wide distribution in its region, its lack of known threats, and lack of observed population decline, the IUCN redlist currently lists O. longipenis as Least Concern.[4]