plain worm eel
Pseudomyrophis micropinna Wade, 1946
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 Smallfin worm-eel (Pseudomyrophis micropinna, also known as the Plain worm eel) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Charles Barkley Wade in 1946. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Nicaragua, Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. It dwells at a depth range of 100 to 200 metres (330 to 660 ft), and inhabits sediments of mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 16 centimetres (6.3 in).
Due to its wide distribution, lack of known threats, and lack of observed population decline, the IUCN redlist currently lists the Smallfin worm-eel as Least Concern.
Wikipedia contributors, Smallfin worm-eel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:05:28.045635+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pseudomyrophis micropinna Wade, 1946
- Name authority
- Wade, 1946
- Common name
- plain worm eel
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Pseudomyrophis
- 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
- genusPseudomyrophis Wade, 1946
- speciesPseudomyrophis micropinna Wade, 1946
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Pseudomyrophis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Pseudomyrophis nimius Böhlke, 1960 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pseudomyrophis atlanticus Blache, 1975 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pseudomyrophis frio (Jordan & Davis, 1891) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| diminutive worm eelPseudomyrophis fugesae McCosker, Böhlke & Böhlke, 1989 | 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.
- Wade, & B, C. (1946). Two new genera and five new species of apodal fishes from the eastern Pacific. Allan Hancock Pacific Expedition 1932-40, Los Angeles, v. 9 (no. 7): 181–213, Pls. 24–28. 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:4P4HK. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.