New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Tropical

Longtailed shortfaced eel

Pythonichthys macrurus Regan, 1912
Max Length
80 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.9
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
-
Vulnerability
34.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Longtailed shortfaced eel (Pythonichthys macrurus), first described by Regan, 1912 is a large fish in the family Heterenchelyidae (order Anguilliformes). Adults typically reach 80.00 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 Least Concern.

Scientific Name
Pythonichthys macrurus
Authority
Regan, 1912
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
80 cm
Trophic Level
3.9
Vulnerability
34.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

: eel-like.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Longtailed shortfaced eel is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal. Tropical

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
3.9±0.7

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00102 × L3.06 (TL)
Max TL
80cm

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2019

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Fishing Vulnerability
34.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.9
Predator
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Regan, 1912

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Long-tailed Mud Eel · Long-tailed Short-faced Eel · Longtailed Shortfaced Eel
🌍CES úhořovník dlouhoocasý

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Heterenchelys macrurus Regan 1912 Synonym
Pythonichthyes macurus - - Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Longtailed shortfaced eel ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.