Goldspotted eel
| Goldspotted eel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Myrichthys ocellatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Myrichthys |
| Species: | M. ocellatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrichthys ocellatus (Lesueur, 1825) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
The Goldspotted eel (Myrichthys ocellatus, also known as the Goldspotted snake eel or the Dark-spotted snake eel[2]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[3] It was described by Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1825, originally under the genus Muraenophis.[4] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda, southern Florida, USA; the Bahamas, Santa Catarina, and Brazil.[3] It dwells at a maximum depth of 15 metres (49 ft), and inhabits rocky and coral reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 110 centimetres (3.6 ft).[3]
The Goldspotted eel is a commercial aquarium fish.[3] As is common with eels, it forages for food mostly during the night; its diet consists of crabs, stomatopods, and echinoderms.[5]
References
- ↑ Synonyms of Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.
- ↑ Common names of Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.
- ↑ Lesueur, C. A. 1825 (Aug.) [ref. 17523] Descriptions of four new species of Muraenophis. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia v. 5 (pt 1): 107-109, Pl. 4.
- ↑ Food items reported for Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.