The long-finned worm eel or short-headed worm eel, Scolecenchelys breviceps, is a snake eel of the genus Scolecenchelys, found in southern Australia between Rottnest Island and Tasmania, and around New Zealand, to depths of about 50 m, on sandy or muddy bottoms. Its length is between 40 and 60 cm.
| Long-finned worm eel | |
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.gif){kind=small}
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| Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Scolecenchelys |
| Species: | S. breviceps
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| Binomial name | |
| Scolecenchelys breviceps (Günther, 1876)
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The Long-finned worm eel is a Maori Traditional delicacy, and is skinned and dried mainly outdoors for a period not exceeding longer than 3 months. The eel is not dangerous to humans, but can pack a fight in the sense of it feeling threatened, where it will nip the person or other mammal as a sense of protection. These eels are also very difficult to handle by hand and can be without water for up to 6 or more hours.
The Long-finned worm eel is nocturnal, venturing out at night to hunt for invertebrates.[1]
References
edit- ^ Dianne J. Bray, 2011, Shorthead Worm Eel, Scolecenchelys breviceps, in Fishes of Australia, accessed 25 Aug 2014, http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3144
External links
edit- "Scolecenchelys breviceps". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 19 March 2006.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Scolecenchelys breviceps". FishBase. January 2006 version.
- Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8
Media related to Scolecenchelys breviceps at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Long-finned worm eel at Wikispecies
