Scolecenchelys iredalei, Coral worm eel

Scolecenchelys iredalei (Whitley, 1927)

Coral worm eel
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Scolecenchelys iredalei   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
 Google image
Image of Scolecenchelys iredalei (Coral worm eel)
No image available for this species;
drawing shows typical species in Ophichthidae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Myrophinae
Etymology: Scolecenchelys: Greek, skolex = worm (1855) + Greek, enchlys, -yos = eel (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Tom Iredale (1880–1972) was an English artist and naturalist who spent much of his life in Australia. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 60 m (Ref. 104540). Tropical

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: widespread, from South Africa to Fiji, north to central Honshu Island, Japan, including Australia and the Red Sea.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 104540)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 122 - 129. This species of the Scolecenchelys gymnota species group is distinguished by the following set of characters: head 8.4-10 % TL; tail 51-54 % TL; trunk 34-38 % TL; infraorbital pores 2 at the postorbital area; absence of median ventral groove on the snout; acute snout; rictus of mouth is slightly posterior to a vertical through the posterior margin of the eye; uniserial teeth on jaws and vomer; horizontal distance between dorsal-fin origin and a vertical through mid-anus 3.4-57 % HL; predorsal vertebrae 54-59, preanal 53-56, total vertebrae 122-129; MVF 57-55-126 (Ref. 104540).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like; Cross section: circular.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A shallow water species occurring from rock tide pools or coral reefs to 60 m depth (Ref. 104540).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McCosker, John E. | Collaborators

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 2025-2)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Territories
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |