| Angry worm eel | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Skythrenchelys |
| Species: | S. zabra |
| Binomial name | |
| Skythrenchelys zabra | |
The angry worm eel [2] (Skythrenchelys zabra) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). [3] It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John E. McCosker in 1999. [4] It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern Indian and western central Pacific Ocean, including India, Indonesia, the Straits of Malacca, northern Australia, and the Philippines. [3] [1] It is known to inhabit shallow, turbid estuaries, and to a lesser extent the deeper water over soft substrates. [1] Males can reach a maximum total length of 29.6 centimetres. [3]
The angry worm eel (Skythrenchelys zabra) has a long, thin, brown body and lacks pectoral fins. It has a large gill opening below the body. It has very small eyes, with nonuniform teeth.
The species epithet "zabra" refers to the eel's ability to consume large prey. [3] Due to its wide distribution and variety of habitats, the IUCN redlist currently lists the angry worm eel as Least Concern. [1]
