Angry worm eel | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Anguilliformes |
Family: | Ophichthidae |
Genus: | Skythrenchelys |
Species: | S. zabra
|
Binomial name | |
Skythrenchelys zabra Castle & McCosker, 1999
|
The angry worm eel [1] (Skythrenchelys zabra) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). [2] It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John E. McCosker in 1999. [3] It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern Indian and western central Pacific Ocean, including India, Indonesia, the Straits of Malacca, northern Australia, and the Philippines. [2] [4] It is known to inhabit shallow, turbid estuaries, and to a lesser extent the deeper water over soft substrates. [4] Males can reach a maximum total length of 29.6 centimetres. [2]
The species epithet "zabra" refers to the eel's ability to consume large prey. [2] Due to its wide distribution and variety of habitats, the IUCN redlist currently lists the angry worm eel as Least Concern. [4]
Angry worm eel | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Anguilliformes |
Family: | Ophichthidae |
Genus: | Skythrenchelys |
Species: | S. zabra
|
Binomial name | |
Skythrenchelys zabra Castle & McCosker, 1999
|
The angry worm eel [1] (Skythrenchelys zabra) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). [2] It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John E. McCosker in 1999. [3] It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern Indian and western central Pacific Ocean, including India, Indonesia, the Straits of Malacca, northern Australia, and the Philippines. [2] [4] It is known to inhabit shallow, turbid estuaries, and to a lesser extent the deeper water over soft substrates. [4] Males can reach a maximum total length of 29.6 centimetres. [2]
The species epithet "zabra" refers to the eel's ability to consume large prey. [2] Due to its wide distribution and variety of habitats, the IUCN redlist currently lists the angry worm eel as Least Concern. [4]