Myrophis plumbeus (Cope, 1871)
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 leaden worm eel (Myrophis plumbeus) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1871. It is a tropical, marine and brackish water-dwelling eel which is known from the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean, including Senegal, the Congo, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. It inhabits bays and estuaries, and forms burrows in sand and mud sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 46.5 centimetres (1 ft 6.3 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 35 centimetres (1 ft 2 in).
Wikipedia contributors, Leaden worm eel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:15:46.237337+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Myrophis plumbeus (Cope, 1871)
- Name authority
- (Cope, 1871)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Myrophis
- 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
- subfamilyMyrophinae Kaup, 1856
- genusMyrophis Lütken, 1852
- speciesMyrophis plumbeus (Cope, 1871)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Myrophis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| broadnose worm eelMyrophis platyrhynchus Breder, 1927 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pacific worm eelMyrophis vafer Jordan & Gilbert, 1883 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Myrophis anterodorsalis McCosker, Böhlke & Böhlke, 1989 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Myrophis lepturus Kotthaus, 1968 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Myrophis microchir (Bleeker, 1864) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| speckled worm eelMyrophis punctatus Lütken, 1852 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Holopterura plumbea Cope, 1871 Cope, 1871 | synonym |
| Paramyrus plumbeus (Cope, 1871) (Cope, 1871) | synonym |
| Myrophis longicollis Peters, 1864 Peters, 1864 | synonym |
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.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=275495 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:45D89. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.