Hawaiian spaghetti eel

📖 Overview

Hawaiian spaghetti eel (Moringua hawaiiensis), first described by Snyder, 1904 is a large fish in the family Moringuidae (order Anguilliformes). Adults typically reach 45.40 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. It occurs in Tropical waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator. On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Data Deficient.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Vertebrae: 188 - 130. This species is characterized by the following: males with 118-122 vertebrae, females 122-130; lateral line pores posterior to gill opening in males 95-104, females 101-108; body depth 40-70 in TL; tail 3.0-3.4 in TL; head 12.5-17 in TL; eyes over posterior part of gape, in immature individuals are minute, in adults about 2 in snout length; at front of snout, anterior nostrils in a short tube; before upper part of eye, posterior nostrils a large aperture; teeth on jaws and vomer are conical and uniserial, the intermaxilla with 7 moderately large recurved teeth; dorsal fin origin about 2/3 HL posterior to anus; in immature eels, the pectoral fins are not detectable, in mature males about as long as gape; color in life of immatures pink to purplish pink anteriorly, pale yellow posteriorly, mature adults distinctly bicolored, dark gray above, white below, caudal fin partly blackish .: eel-like.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Hawaiian spaghetti eel is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; benthopelagic; depth range ? - 40 m . Tropical; 25°N - 16°S, 171°W - 154°W Central Pacific: Hawaiian Islands, Johnston Island; probably Easter Island and other islands of Polynesia.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

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