elastic eel
Phaenomonas pinnata Myers & Wade, 1941
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 elastic eel (Phaenomonas pinnata) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by George S. Myers and Charles Barkley Wade in 1941. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Mexico. It dwells at a depth range of 1–35 metres, inhabiting sandy bottoms. Males can reach a maximum total length of 53.5 centimetres.
Due to the relatively wide distribution of the Elastic eel, as well as a lack of known threats or observed population decline, the IUCN redlist currently lists the species as Least Concern. Its distribution does, however, partially include marine protected areas, such as those in the Gulf of California.
Wikipedia contributors, Elastic eel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:54:06.457969+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Phaenomonas pinnata Myers & Wade, 1941
- Name authority
- Myers & Wade, 1941
- Common name
- elastic eel
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Phaenomonas
- 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
- genusPhaenomonas Myers & Wade, 1941
- speciesPhaenomonas pinnata Myers & Wade, 1941
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Phaenomonas. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Phaenomonas longissima (Cadenat & Marchal, 1963) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| short-maned sand-eelPhaenomonas cooperae Palmer, 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.
- Myers, G. S., & Wade, C. B. (1941). Four new genera and ten new species of eels from the Pacific coast of tropical America. Allan Hancock Pacific Expedition 1932-40, Los Angeles, 9 (4): 65–111, Pls. 7–16. 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:4FM3C. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.