Painted eel

The painted eel^[3] (Echelus myrus) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).^[4] It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, originally under the genus Muraena.^[5] It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Bay of Biscay, the Republic of Congo, and the Mediterranean. It dwells at a depth range of 3 to 12 metres (9.8 to 39.4 ft), and inhabits burrows formed in sand and mud sediments in coastal lagoons and estuaries. Males can reach a maximum total length of 100 centimetres (39 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 60 centimetres (24 in).^[4]

Painted eel
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Ophichthidae
Genus:	Echelus
Species:	E. myrus
Binomial name
Echelus myrus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms[2]
Muraena myrus Linnaeus, 1758 Echelus punctatus Rafinesque, 1810 Muraena longicollis Cuvier, 1816 Muraena vulgaris Kaup, 1856 Myrus vulgaris (Kaup, 1856)

The Painted eel is of minor commercial interest to fisheries.^[4] It has been recorded spawning in the Bay of Algiers during the months of August and September.^[6]