Scolecenchelys profundorum

Description

Scolecenchelys profundorum is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by John E. McCosker and Nikolai Vasilyevich Parin in 1995, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is endemic to the Nazca Ridge in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 310 metres (1,020 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 33.4 centimetres (13.1 in). The species epithet "profundorum" means "of the depths" in Latin, and refers to the deep-water habitat of the eel.