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Scolecenchelys chilensis (McCosker, 1970)

Chilean worm eel
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Scolecenchelys chilensis   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Scolecenchelys chilensis (Chilean worm eel)
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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).
More on author: McCosker.

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

Marine; demersal; depth range 3 - 35 m (Ref. 104540). Subtropical; 25°S - 35°S, 83°W - 76°W (Ref. 89357)

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

Southeast Pacific: Desventuradas Is. and Juan Fernández Is.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 28.4 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13468)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 148 - 152. This species of the Scolecenchelys gymnota species group is distinguished by the following set of characters: head 8.9-9.7 % TL; tail 53-56 % TL; trunk 36-38 % TL; body depth 1.9-2.2 % TL; horizontal distance between dorsal-fin origin and a vertical through mid-anus 38-60 % ; with a prominent median groove, ventral on snout; teeth on jaws and vomerine in a single row; predorsal vertebrae 66-68, preanal 62-64, and total vertebrae148-152; MVF 67-62-150 (Ref. 104540).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Lives in shallow waters, on sand and debris between rocks and crevices (Ref. 89357, 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 2024-1)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 26 November 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO -