| Pylorobranchus hearstorum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Pylorobranchus |
| Species: | P. hearstorum |
| Binomial name | |
| Pylorobranchus hearstorum McCosker, 2014 | |
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]