
Marbled snake eel
Callechelys marmorata
- Usual depth0–25 m
- Water temperature22–30 °C
- Best monthsApril, May, and September
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Rickard Zerpe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Callechelys marmorata, also known as the marbled snake eel, is a benthic marine fish belonging to the family Ophichthidae which refers to serpentine in shape fishes.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Callechelys marmorata”, 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: 24 records
- February: 16 records
- March: 19 records
- April: 47 records
- May: 35 records
- June: 22 records
- July: 23 records
- August: 27 records
- September: 33 records
- October: 24 records
- November: 31 records
- December: 22 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–25 m · Deepest record: 42.7 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 22–30 °C
Photos

(c) Rickard Zerpe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Rickard Zerpe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Alicia Christman, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Kai Squires, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) Tom Heijnen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Marbled snake eel, marbled snake eel, Marbled Snake-eel, Marbled Snake Eel
Names in 3 more languages
- French
- Anguille-serpent marbrée
- Japanese
- Monhimoumihebi, モンヒモウミヘビ
- Simplified Chinese
- 硬骨仔, 硬骨篡, 篡仔, 雲紋麗蛇鰻, 雲紋麗鰻, 鰻仔
Other scientific names: Callechelys guichenoti, Callechelys marmoratus, Dalophis marmorata, Ophichthys marmoratus, Pisodonophis maculatus
Similar species
- Black-striped Snake Eel
Callechelys catostoma
- Saddled snake-eel
Leiuranus semicinctus
- Harlequin snake-eel
Myrichthys colubrinus
- Tiger snake-eel
Myrichthys maculosus
Stargazer Snake EelBrachysomophis cirrocheilos
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).
- 185 open-data records from 1947 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 26, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.