Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Myrophinae
Etymology: Scolecenchelys: Greek, skolex = worm (1855) + Greek, enchlys, -yos = eel (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Ogilby.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 26 m (Ref. 1602). Tropical; 16°N - 33°S
Indo-Pacific: Indo-Pacific Ocean, widespread, from Mozambique, north to Kikai-jima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, east to Cook Islands, including the Red Sea.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3972)
Vertebrae: 135 - 146. This species of the Scolecenchelys gymnota species group is distinguished by the following set of characters: head 9.9-12 % TL; tail 54-58 % TL; body depth 2.0-4.0 % TL; snout 15-20 % HL; horizontal distance between dorsal-fin origin and a vertical through mid-anus 3.5-46 % HL; blunt snout; rictus of mouth anterior to or just below a vertical through posterior margin of eye; upper-jaw teeth arranged biserially and vomer only a single row or rarely biserial anteriorly; predorsal vertebrae 54-63, preanal 54-58, total 135-146; MVF 59-56-139 (Ref. 104540).
Inhabits reef flats and lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 1602). Forms congregations in confined sandy areas of sandy bottoms (Ref. 30874). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 86942.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Hibino, Y. and S. Kimura, 2015. Revision of the Scolecenchelys gymnota species group with descriptions of two new species (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae: Myrophinae). Ichthyol Res (Ref. 104540)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 25 - 29.3, mean 28.3 °C (based on 2042 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00076 (0.00029 - 0.00197), b=3.06 (2.83 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.1 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (25 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 67.2 [38.3, 121.6] mg/100g; Iron = 0.65 [0.39, 1.23] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [16.4, 21.3] %; Omega3 = 0.116 [0.053, 0.327] g/100g; Selenium = 34.8 [19.4, 70.8] μg/100g; VitaminA = 65.9 [18.7, 201.1] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.23 [0.87, 1.71] mg/100g (wet weight);
