Pacific Worm Eel, Myrophis vafer

Pacific Worm Eel, Myrophis vafer. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, May 2012. Length: 30 cm (12 inches); Tail: 62%.

The Pacific Worm Eel, Myrophis vafer, is a member of the Snake Eel or Ophichthidae Family, and is known in Mexico as tieso lombriz. Globally, there are eight species in the genus Myrophis, of which three are found in Mexican waters, two in the Atlantic and one, this species, in the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Worm Eel has an elongated compressed body. They are a uniform gray-brown with dark speckles dorsally and transition to off-white ventrally. Their head has a conical overhanging snout, large eyes, small conical teeth, and a small gill opening at the corner of their pectoral base. Their anal and dorsal fins are confluent with their tail and their dorsal fin originates before mid-trunk. Their pectoral fins are well-developed and have a broad base. Their lateral line is complete and their long tail is 58% to 64% of total length.

The Pacific Worm Eel is a demersal species but is a non-burrowing fish that are found over soft sandy and muddy bottoms at depths up to 15 m (50 feet). The young are attracted to the lit surface at night. They reach a maximum of 47 cm (19 inches) in length. The Pacific Worm Eel is a fairly common species, however are seldom seen by most humans, is poorly studied and very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Pacific Worm Eel is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Worm Eel can be confused with the Elastic Eel, Phaenomonas pinnata (tail 25% of total length) and the Smalleye Spaghetti Eel, Neoconger vermiformis (tail 50% of total length).

From a conservation perspective the Pacific Worm Eel has not been formally evaluated. They are small in stature and of interest to most. They are harmless to humans.