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Illustration of King snake eel
fishing forecast

king snake eel

Ophichthus rex · full profile

location

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the species

everything about the king snake eel

how to recognize it

Very long, cylindrical body, with dark saddle-shaped bands along the back, olive brown. The dorsal fin begins well behind the tip of the pectoral fin. The dorsal and anal fins have stripes at the base, and the pectoral fin is darker in its upper half. Given its size and saddle bands, it is not confused with the cutuca (Myrophis punctatus), which lives in the same gulf and is much smaller.

Also called: enguia-cobra-rei, lairón, king snake eel

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Bottoms of waters far from shore, 15 to 365 m deep, often near oil platforms.

It lives in the northern Gulf of Mexico, from Florida to Texas in the United States, and is also known in Mexico.

rules for the king snake eel

Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00093, b = 2.99; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

more about the king snake eel

An eel of the family Ophichthidae that gets very large: it reaches 211 cm and up to 23.6 kg. It lives in waters far from shore, 15 to 365 m deep, and is common around oil platforms. Its body is marked by dark, saddle-shaped bands along the back. It lays eggs. It has no commercial interest, but for anglers fishing with line in the Gulf of Mexico it is a species of interest, often caught near the platforms.

Family: Ophichthidae · predator

similar species

sources and references (2)

Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.

  1. scientific FishBase: Ophichthus rex (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Ophichthus rexNames by country and language.