The short-tooth sawpalate (Serrivomer lanceolatoides, also known commonly as the black sawtoothed eel)[1] is an eel in the family Serrivomeridae (sawtooth eels). It was described by Johannes Schmidt in 1916 in its larval form, originally under the genus Leptocephalus,[2] and later as a subspecies of Serrivomer sector by Roule & Bertin in 1929.[3] It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the eastern central and western central Atlantic Ocean, including the Strait of Gibraltar, Cape Verde, the United States, the Bahamas and Bermuda,[4] as well as the Strait of Gibraltar, Cape Verde, Canada and the United States. It dwells at a depth range of 150mto6000mm (490feetto20,000feetm). Males can reach a maximum total length of 65cm (26inches).
The species epithet "lanceolatoides" means "spear-like" in a combination of Latin and Greek, and refers to the eel's appearance. The short-tooth sawpalate's diet consists primarily of benthic crustaceans.[5] It is reported to spawn between March and August in the Sargasso Sea.[6]
The IUCN redlist currently lists the short-tooth sawpalate as Least Concern, due to the unlikelihood of it being endangered by any major threats as a result of its deep water habitat, and its lack of commercial interest to fisheries.[4]