snack eel
Ethadophis merenda Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Snack eel (Ethadophis merenda) is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ophichthidae, the worm and snake eels. It was described by Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt and John E. McCosker in 1970. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from a single specimen discovered in Mexico, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. From the holotype, which was found in the stomach of a White seabass, males are known to reach a total length of 53 centimetres (21 in).
Due to the lack of multiple known specimens, and thereby an inability to acquire data on the ecology, habitat or threats faced by the species, the IUCN redlist currently lists the Snack eel as Data Deficient.
Wikipedia contributors, Snack eel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:49:10.443701+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ethadophis merenda Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
- Name authority
- Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
- Common name
- snack eel
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Ethadophis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderAnguilliformes
- familyOphichthidae Günther, 1870
- subfamilyOphichthinae Günther, 1870
- genusEthadophis Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
- speciesEthadophis merenda Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Ethadophis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| ordinary eelEthadophis byrnei Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Rosenblatt, R. H., & McCosker, J. E. (1970). A key to the genera of the ophichthid eels, with descriptions of two new genera and three new species from the eastern Pacific. Pacific Science, 24 (4): 494–505. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3BKV4. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.