Boxer Snipe Eel

Nemichthys curvirostris

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth38–1,081 m
Water temperature2–29 °C
Best monthsApril and November
How commonRare

About this species

Nemichthys curvirostris, the boxer snipe eel, is a snipe eel of the family Nemichthyidae. Like other snipe eels, they have incredibly narrow and elongated bodies, and small fins.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Nemichthys curvirostris”, 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: 16 records
February: 12 records
March: 6 records
April: 35 records
May: 2 records
June: 14 records
July: 8 records
August: 7 records
September: 2 records
October: 5 records
November: 21 records
December: 4 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 38–1,081 m · Deepest record: 4,914 m

10–20 m: 6 records
20–30 m: 1 records
30–40 m: 6 records
40–50 m: 3 records
50–60 m: 5 records
60–70 m: 4 records
70–80 m: 3 records
80–90 m: 1 records
90–100 m: 2 records
100–110 m: 1 records
110–120 m: 0 records
120+ m: 97 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 2–29 °C

0–2 °C: 10 records
2–4 °C: 3 records
4–6 °C: 2 records
6–8 °C: 1 records
8–10 °C: 3 records
10–12 °C: 10 records
12–14 °C: 5 records
14–16 °C: 24 records
16–18 °C: 36 records
18–20 °C: 6 records
20–22 °C: 17 records
22–24 °C: 12 records
24–26 °C: 7 records
26–28 °C: 16 records
28–30 °C: 2 records

Names and classification

English: Boxer Snipe Eel, Spotted Snipe Eel

Other scientific names: Leptocephalus curvirostris, Leptocephalus polymerus, Tilurus curvirostris

Similar species

Slender snipe eel
Nemichthys scolopaceus
Pale Snipe Eel
Nemichthys larseni
Avocet snipe eel
Avocettina infans
Manypore Snipe Eel
Avocettina acuticeps
Lowcount Snipe Eel
Avocettina paucipora
Keelnose Snipe Eel
Labichthys carinatus

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).
499 open-data records from 1896 to 2025.
Species data updated November 4, 2026.

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