Indo Pacific Slender Worm Eel

This species is distinguished by the following set of characters: 2 infraorbital pores found at the postorbital area; median ventral groove on the snout absent; acute snout; rictus of mouth slightly posterior to a vertical line through the posterior margin of the eye; pointed conical teeth on upper jaw and vomer, arranged biserially on upper jaw, uniserially on vomer; dorsal-fin origin posterior to a vertical line through the anus, horizontal distance between the origin and the vertical line 13-55% HL; tail 54-58% TL; total vertebrae 118-135, predorsal 51-57 and preanal 47-52; mean vertebral formula (MVF) 53.9-50.0-128.6 (Ref. 92899).

Vertebrae: 118 - 135

Lives in loose sand and fine gravel (Ref. 1602). Benthic (Ref. 58302) and burrowing species found in inshore waters (Ref. 7300, 75154). Feeds on small fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 89972).

分布於印度-西太平洋海域，西起紅海、東非及馬達加斯加，東至社會群島，北至日本，南至澳洲大堡礁。臺灣發現於南部海域。

罕見物種，無任何漁業利用，僅具有研究價值。

體細長，圓柱型；全長約為最高體高的30-50倍。口大，口裂延伸至眼的稍後方。吻尖；前上頜骨、上下頜骨、鋤骨皆具齒，齒顆粒狀。背鰭起點在肛門上方或略後方；背、臀鰭較低，且與尾鰭相連續；無胸鰭；尾鰭明顯。體呈半透明至白色。裸蟲鰻(/Muraenichthys gymnotus/)為本種之同種異名。

主要棲息於有寬鬆沙子或碎石底質的海域。穴居性，通常鑽入沙石堆中，等待獵物，以貝類、蝦蛄等底棲動物為食。

The Indo-Pacific slender worm-eel (Scolecenchelys gymnota, also known as the Slender worm eel) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1857. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, East Africa, the Line Islands, the Society Islands, Johnston Island, Japan, Rapa Iti, Micronesia, and the southern Great Barrier Reef. It forms burrows in inshore sediments of loose gravel and sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 38 centimetres (15 in).