Pylorobranchus hearstorum, the gigantic worm eel, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Myrophinae, the worm eels, in the family Ophichthidae, which also includes the snake eels. This species is known from a single specimen, the holotype collected from the Verde Island Passage in the Philippines at 13.583-13.575°N, 120.382-120.411°E from a depth between 892 and 966 m (2,927 and 3,169 ft). The species was described in 2014 by the American marine biologist John E. McCosker.[2] The specific name honours the friends of McCosker and philanthropists William and Margaret Hearst, who sponsored the expedition the holotype was collected on.[3] This single known specimen of this species had a total length of 121.8 cm (48.0 in).[4]
| Pylorobranchus hearstorum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Pylorobranchus |
| Species: | P. hearstorum
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| Binomial name | |
| Pylorobranchus hearstorum McCosker, 2014
| |
References
edit- ^ McCosker, J.; Smith, D.G. & Tighe, K. (2022). "Pylorobranchus hearstorum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T103707538A103708478. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T103707538A103708478.en. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pylorobranchus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf (2 November 2024). "Family OPHICHTHIDAE Günther 1870 (Snake Eels and Worm Eels)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Pylorobranchus hearstorum". FishBase. June 2024 version.