Iredale's Worm Eel, Scolecenchelys iredalei (Whitley 1927)

Other Names: Coral Worm Eel

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2023, Scolecenchelys iredalei in Fishes of Australia, accessed 16 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3147

Iredale's Worm Eel, Scolecenchelys iredalei (Whitley 1927)

More Info

Distribution	Murray Island, Torres Strait, to at least One Tree Island, southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland (precise distribution uncertain). Elsewhere the species occurs in the Indo-west Pacific: East Africa to southern Japan, Fiji and Tonga. Inhabits shallow rocky tide pools and coral reefs to a depth of 60 m.
Etymology	The species is named in honour of the Australian ornithologist-malacologist Tom Iredale of the Australian Museum, who accompanied Whitley on a collecting trip to Michaelmas Cay, Great Barrier Reef, type locality.
Species Citation	Muraenichthys iredalei Whitley 1927, Records of the Australian Museum 16(1): 5. Type locality: Michaelmas Cay, Queensland.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2023
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Iredale's Worm Eel, Scolecenchelys iredalei (Whitley 1927)

References

Castle, P.H.J. & McCosker, J.E. 1999. A new genus and two new species of Myrophine worm-eels, with comments on Muraenichthys and Scolecenchelys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Records of the Australian Museum 51(2-3): 113-122. https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.51.1999.1300 (as a probable synonym of Scolecenchelys australis)

Hibino, Y. & Kimura, S 2015. Revision of the Scolecenchelys gymnota species group with descriptions of two new species (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae: Myrophinae). Ichthyological Research 63(1): 1-22 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-015-0485-4

Munro, I.S.R. 1957. Handbook of Australian Fishes. No. 11. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 16(5): 45-48 (as Muraenichthys iredalei)

Russell, B.C. 1983. Annotated checklist of the coral reef fishes in the Capricorn-Bunker group, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Special Publication Series 1: 1-184 figs 1-2 (as Muraenichthys iredalei)

Whitley, G.P. 1927. The fishes of Michaelmas Cay, North Queensland. Records of the Australian Museum 16(1): 1-32 fig. 1 pl. 1 https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.16.1927.776