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Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Myrophinae
Etymology: Neenchelys: Name from Greek 'neo' for new and 'enchelys' for eel.
Eponymy: Pieter Buitendijk (1870–1932) was a ship’s surgeon, mainly on steamers trading between Amsterdam and Java. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on authors: Weber & deBeaufort.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 2 - 3 m (Ref. 96531). Tropical

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Indo-West Pacific: India, Indonesia and western Malaysia. Also reported from Pakistan and Vietnam.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7245)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

This species is distinguished by the following characters: body robust, its depth 19-32 times in TL; head length (HL) 7.8-8.5 in TL; pointed snout; well developed pectoral fin, which is longer than snout, 4.0-4.8 in HL; origin of dorsal fin relatively forward, 0.4-0.5 times HL behind gill opening; predorsal length 5.7-6.0 in TL; large gill opening, its height 6.8-8.5 in HL; teeth conical, slender, uniserial in jaws and vomer; total vertebrae 135-148; MVF 19-50-140; single median temporal and interorbital pores; supraorbital pores 1 + 4; infraorbital pores 5 + 1 (1 or 2 pores between anterior and posterior nostrils); mandibular pores 7; preopercular pores 2; supratemporal pores 3; cephalic lateral line pores 13 or 14; predorsal pores 20-22; preanal pores 51-54; when preserved specimens are pale brown dorsally and paler ventrally, with black posterior portions of dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 96531).

A small, burrowing eel which is active over soft sediments at night.

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

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

Ho, H.-C., J.E. McCosker and D.G. Smith, 2013. Revision of the worm eel genus Neenchelys (Ophichthidae; Myrophinae), with descriptions of three new species from the western Pacific Ocean. Zoological Studies 52(58):1-20. (Ref. 96531)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 20 November 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually

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Trophic ecology
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Length-weight rel.
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Life cycle
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Maturity/Gills rel.
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Anatomy
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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 26.5 - 29.1, mean 28.5 °C (based on 1236 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5020 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00076 (0.00029 - 0.00197), b=3.06 (2.83 - 3.29), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.0 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (20 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Neenchelys buitendijki Weber & de Beaufort, 1916