Mud-dwelling moray

Mud-dwelling moray
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Muraenidae
Subfamily:	Muraeninae
Genus:	Diaphenchelys McCosker & J. E. Randall, 2007
Species:	D. pelonates
Binomial name
Diaphenchelys pelonates McCosker & J. E. Randall, 2007

The mud-dwelling moray (Diaphenchelys pelonates) is a species of eel in the family Muraenidae ^{[2] [3]} It was described by John E. McCosker and John Ernest Randall in 2007. ^[4] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Indonesia, in the western Pacific Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 15 to 32 metres (49 to 105 ft), and inhabits muddy bottoms, from which its species epithet, "pelonates" (translating literally as "mud dweller", from Ancient Greek, and treated as a noun in apposition), is derived. Males can reach a maximum total length of 46.5 centimetres (18.3 in). ^[3]

References

1. Smith, D.G.; McCosker, J.; Tighe, K. (2019). "Diaphenchelys pelonates". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T195678A2401032. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T195678A2401032.en .
2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Diaphenchelys". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 13 March 2025.
3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Diaphenchelys pelonates". FishBase . June 2011 version.
4. McCosker, J.E.; Randall, J.E. (2007). "A New Genus and Species of Mud-Dwelling Moray Eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from Indonesia". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 58 (22): 469–476.