Goldspotted eel

The goldspotted eel (Myrichthys ocellatus), also known as the goldspotted snake eel or the dark-spotted snake eel,[2] is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[3] It was described by Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1825, originally under the genus Muraenophis.[4] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda, southern Florida, USA; the Bahamas, Santa Catarina, and Brazil.[3] It dwells at a maximum depth of 15 metres (49 ft), and inhabits rocky and coral reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 110 centimetres (3.6 ft).[3]

Goldspotted eel
Myrichthys ocellatus

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Anguilliformes
Family:
Ophichthidae
Genus:
Myrichthys
Species:
M. ocellatus
Binomial name
Myrichthys ocellatus
(Lesueur, 1825)
Synonyms[1]
  • Muraenophis ocellata Lesueur, 1825
  • Pisodonophis oculatus Kaup, 1856
  • Myrichthys oculatus (Kaup, 1856)
  • Myrichttys oculatus (Kaup, 1856)
  • Ophisurus latemaculatus Poey, 1867
  • Myrichthys keckii Silvester, 1915

The Goldspotted eel is a commercial aquarium fish.[3] As is common with eels, it forages for food mostly during the night; its diet consists of crabs, stomatopods, and echinoderms.[5]

References
  1. Synonyms of Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.
  2. Common names of Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.
  3. Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.
  4. Lesueur, C. A. 1825 (Aug.) [ref. 17523] Descriptions of four new species of Muraenophis. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia v. 5 (pt 1): 107-109, Pl. 4.
  5. Food items reported for Myrichthys ocellatus at www.fishbase.org.


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