Parasitic eel
Simenchelys parasitica
- Usual depth638–1,245 m
- Water temperature1–29 °C
- Best monthsJuly and August
- How commonOccasional
About this species
The snubnosed eel, Simenchelys parasitica, also known as the pug-nosed eel, slime eel, or snub-nose parasitic eel, is a species of deep-sea eel and the only member of its genus. Some authors classify it as the sole member of the subfamily Simenchelyinae of the family Synaphobranchidae, or cutthroat eels, while others place it in its own monotypic family, the Simenchelyidae. It is found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, typically at a depth of 500–1,800 m (1,600–5,900 ft) near the bottom. Although typically a scavenger, it is better known for using its powerful jaws and teeth to burrow into larger fishes as a parasite. This species is harmless to humans and of no interest to fisheries. The generic name Simenchelys translates literally as "pug-nosed eel".
Text from the Wikipedia article “Snubnosed eel”, 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: 47 records
- February: 10 records
- March: 10 records
- April: 21 records
- May: 23 records
- June: 13 records
- July: 100 records
- August: 151 records
- September: 13 records
- October: 10 records
- November: 15 records
- December: 6 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 638–1,245 m · Deepest record: 4,160 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 1–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Parasitic eel, Pug-nosed eel, Slime eel, Snubnosed eel, Snub-nosed eel, pugnose eel, snub-nosed eel, snubnose eel, Snub-nose Parasitic Eel
Names in 2 more languages
- French
- Anguille a nez court, Anguille à nez court
- Japanese
- Kongoanago, コンゴウアナゴ
Other scientific names: Conchognathus grimaldii, Gymnosimenchelys leptosomus, Simenchelys dofleini, Simenchelys parasiticas, Simenchelys parasiticus
Similar species
- Kaup's arrowtooth eel
Synaphobranchus kaupii
- Grey cutthroat eel
Synaphobranchus affinis
- Shortbelly eel
Dysomma anguillare
- Abyssal cutthroat eel
Histiobranchus bathybius
- Shortdorsal Cutthroat Eel
Synaphobranchus brevidorsalis
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).
- 1,030 open-data records from 1878 to 2024.
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