Black-striped Snake Eel
Callechelys catostoma
- Usual depth0–16 m
- Water temperature22–30 °C
- Best monthsApril, August, and September
- How commonRare
About this species
Callechelys catostoma, the black-striped snake eel or dark band snake eel,) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider and Johann Reinhold Forster in 1801. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, East Africa, the Society Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and Lord Howe Island. It dwells at a depth range of 1–32 metres, and inhabits reefs. It burrows into loose gravel and sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 85 centimetres (33 in).
Text from the Wikipedia article “Callechelys catostoma”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 2 records
- February: 3 records
- March: 2 records
- April: 10 records
- May: 8 records
- June: 6 records
- July: 5 records
- August: 13 records
- September: 10 records
- October: 3 records
- November: 6 records
- December: 0 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–16 m · Deepest record: 57.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 22–30 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Black-striped Snake Eel, Blackstriped Snake Eel, Dark Band Snake Eel
Names in 1 more languages
- Japanese
- Himoumihebi, ヒモウミヘビ
Other scientific names: Callechelys catostomus, Callechelys melanotaenia, Callechelys melanotaenius, Callechelys striata, Callechelys striatus, Leptenchelys pinnaceps, Sphagebranchus catostomus
Similar species
Marbled snake eelCallechelys marmorata
- Saddled snake-eel
Leiuranus semicinctus
- Harlequin snake-eel
Myrichthys colubrinus
- Tiger snake-eel
Myrichthys maculosus
Stargazer Snake EelBrachysomophis cirrocheilos
- Smalleye Snake Eel
Allips concolor
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 128 open-data records from 1864 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
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