Black-striped Snake Eel

Callechelys catostoma, commonly referred to as the black-striped snake eel or dark band snake eel, belongs to the family Ophichthidae, which includes worm and snake eels. This species was first described by Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider and Johann Reinhold Forster in 1801. It is a tropical marine eel prevalent in the Indo-Pacific region, with its range extending to the 🌊 Red Sea, East Africa, the Society Islands (🇵🇫 French Polynesia), the Ryukyu Islands (🇯🇵 Japan), and Lord Howe Island. The black-striped snake eel typically inhabits reef environments and can be found at depths ranging from 1 to 32 meters. It demonstrates a behavior of burrowing into loose gravel and sand. The males of this species can attain a maximum total length of 85 centimeters (33 inches).