Myrichthys colubrinus
Myrichthys colubrinus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia
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Phylum: | Chordata
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Class: | |
Order: | Anguilliformes
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Family: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | M. colubrinus
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Binomial name | |
Myrichthys colubrinus (Boddaert, 1781)
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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]
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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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Myrichthys colubrinus. |
Categories:
- Myrichthys
- Fish described in 1781
- Taxa named by Pieter Boddaert
- Anguilliformes stubs