Long-finned worm eel

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Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Ophichthidae
Genus:	Scolecenchelys
Species:	S. breviceps

Binomial name

Scolecenchelys breviceps
(Günther, 1876)

The long-finned worm eel or short-headed worm eel, Scolecenchelys breviceps, is a snake eel of the genus Scolecenchelys, found in southern Australia between Rottnest Island and Tasmania, and around New Zealand, to depths of about 50 m, on sandy or muddy bottoms. Its length is between 40 and 60 cm.

The long-finned worm eel has a very elongate body, with a slightly bulbous head and very low dorsal and anal fins that are continuous around the tip of the tail (unlike that of the serpent eel).

It is pale green in colour with scattered minute brown spots on the back and a dark edge on the dorsal fin.

These eels is found in coastal waters buried in the bottom sediments with only their eyes and part of the mouth showing. They are very seldom seen.

[edit] References

Scolecenchelys breviceps (TSN 635876). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 19 March 2006.
"Scolecenchelys breviceps". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8