Myrichthys colubrinus
Myrichthys colubrinus, the banded snake eel, ringed snake eel or harlequin snake eel, is a snake eel from the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 97 cm (38 in) in length.[1]
| Myrichthys colubrinus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Myrichthys |
| Species: | M. colubrinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrichthys colubrinus (Boddaert, 1781) | |
The ringed snake eel resembles the venomous sea snake, Laticauda colubrina which is a form of Batesian mimicry.[2] It also adjusts its behaviour to swim freely during the day, whereas other snake eels tend to stay hidden and roam at night.
In 2021, it was first recorded in Hawaii.[3]
References
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2008). "Myrichthys colubrinus" in FishBase. December 2008 version.
- Randall, J. E. (2005). A review of mimicry in marine fishes. Zoological Studies, 44(3), 299–328.
- "Harlequin Snake Eel, Myrichthys colubrinus". www.marinelifephotography.com. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
External links
- Photos of Myrichthys colubrinus in iNaturalist
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