Spotted snake eel

Always an interesting fish to find, the spotted snake eel buries in the sand.  It can move about beneath the sand.  This species can grow to about 4 feet.  They most likely forage in the open at night, and rest while partly buried in the sand.  They bury tail first.

This fish was pretty big, but it is hard to guess its total length when only 6 inches was sticking out of the sand.  We found this fish on a sandy slope at a depth of 35 feet.  This year, we have also seen a very small one burying in the sand in about 5 feet of water.