Java spaghetti eel
Moringua javanica
- Usual depth0–20 m
- Water temperature24–29 °C
- Best monthsApril, September, and October
- How commonRare
About this species
The Java spaghetti eel, also known as the Java thrush-eel, Java worm eel, and the black-tailed thrush eel is an eel in the family Moringuidae. It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1856, originally under the genus Aphthalmichthys. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including East Africa, the Tuamoto Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and Micronesia. It is a burrowing species which inhabits reefs at a depth range of 2–15 m. Males can reach a maximum total length of 120 cm.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Java spaghetti eel”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
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Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 7 records
- February: 6 records
- March: 3 records
- April: 10 records
- May: 5 records
- June: 6 records
- July: 7 records
- August: 6 records
- September: 10 records
- October: 8 records
- November: 3 records
- December: 3 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–20 m · Deepest record: 100 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 24–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Java spaghetti eel, Black-tailed Thrush Eel, Javan Spaghetti Eel, Javan Worm Eel, Java Thrush-eel, Java Worm Eel
Names in 1 more languages
- Japanese
- Tobihariganeumihebi, トビハリガネウミヘビ
Other scientific names: Aphthalmichthys javanicus, Apthalmichthys javanicus
Similar species
- Short Worm Eel
Moringua abbreviata
- Lesser Thrush Eel
Moringua macrochir
- Common Worm Eel
Moringua microchir
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).
- 151 open-data records from 1856 to 2023.
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