The angry worm eelCommon names for Skythrenchelys zabra at www.fishbase.org. (Skythrenchelys zabra) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).Skythrenchelys zabra at www.fishbase.org. It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John E. McCosker in 1999.Castle, P. H. J., and J. E. McCosker, 1999 (20 Oct) [ref. 24075] A new genus and two new species of Myrophine worm-eels, with comments on Muraenichthys and Scolecenchelys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Records of the Australian Museum v. 51 (nos 2-3): 113-122. 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. It is known to inhabit shallow, turbid estuaries, and to a lesser extent the deeper water over soft substrates. Males can reach a maximum total length of 29.6 centimetres.
The angry worm eel (Skythrenchelys zabra) has a long, thin, brown body and lacks pectoral fins. It has a large gill opening below the body. It has very small eyes, with nonuniform teeth.
The species epithet "zabra" refers to the eel's ability to consume large prey. Due to its wide distribution and variety of habitats, the IUCN redlist currently lists the angry worm eel as Least Concern.
References