---
title: Thin Snake Eel (Yirrkala tenuis)
scientific_name: Yirrkala tenuis
common_name: Thin Snake Eel
taxon: Snake eels
conservation_status: LC - Least Concern
published: 2024-10-26T18:02:27.463Z
updated: 2026-08-08T21:22:57.005Z
tags: Thin Snake Eel, Yirrkala tenuis, Snake eels, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/snake-eels/thin-snake-eel
---

# Thin Snake Eel (*Yirrkala tenuis*)

## Quick facts

- **Group:** Snake eels (*Ophichthidae*)
- **Size:** 53 cm
- **Conservation status:** LC - Least Concern

The thin sand-eel (Yirrkala tenuis) is a species of eel belonging to the family Ophichthidae, commonly referred to as worm or snake eels. This species was first described by Albert Günther in 1870, initially classified under the genus Ophichthys. Yirrkala tenuis is found in tropical marine and freshwater environments in the western Indian Ocean, with its distribution including the Red Sea, South Africa, Mauritius, and Réunion. Male individuals of this species can attain a maximum total length of 53 centimeters (21 inches).

## Also known as

- **English:** thin sand-eel, Thin Sand Eel
- **French:** Anguille serpent
- **Portuguese:** Falsa-moréia-fita
- **Czech:** hadař tenký

## Scientific synonyms

- *Caecula natalensis* Fowler, 1934
- *Ophichthys tenuis* Günther, 1870
- *Pantonora tenuis* (Günther, 1870)

## Range

Indian Ocean, Mozambique, South Africa

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*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/snake-eels/thin-snake-eel)*
*Updated: August 8, 2026*