All fish / Ophichthidae

Banded Snake Eel

Myrichthys colubrinus

Also known as harlequin snake eel, ringed snake eel, banded sea snake eel, black banded snake eel, snake eel, シマウミヘビ, 斑竹花蛇鳗, 环纹蛇鳗

A long, slender eel with white or cream skin ringed by broad black bands, so it looks very like a venomous sea krait. Hobbyists keep it for this striking mimicry and its habit of burrowing in sand and hunting along the bottom with its head poking out.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

80 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly

Diet

Carnivore: chopped shrimp, squid, fish, clam and other meaty seafood, fed with tongs at first

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 years or more

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to French Polynesia, north to Japan and south to Australia

Breeding

It spawns pelagic eggs and has long-lived leptocephalus larvae drifting in open water. It has not been bred in home aquariums and all stock is wild caught.

Good to know

Needs a deep, fine sand bed and a tightly sealed lid because it escapes through tiny gaps, and it will eat small fish, shrimps and crabs. Do not confuse it with banded sea kraits, which are highly venomous snakes with flattened paddle tails.