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Intermediate thrush-eel (Moringua ferruginea) — Moringuidae

Intermediate thrush-eel

Moringua ferruginea
Family: Moringuidae
DD · Data Deficient

The Intermediate thrush-eel (Moringua ferruginea) is a saltwater fish of the family Moringuidae that grows up to 140 cm.

Length
140 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–40.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The rusty spaghetti eel is a strikingly thin, worm-like eel from the Indo-Pacific, ranging from East Africa to Easter Island and from the Ryukyu Islands to Australia. The species grows to about 140 cm but stays very slender, with strongly reduced, far rearward-set fins. As a burrowing species it lives buried in sandy bottoms of reefs and shallow coastal water to about 40 metres depth. It feeds on small bottom animals. The fish is harmless to humans; owing to insufficient data the IUCN lists the species as Data Deficient (DD).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Intermediate thrush-eel?

The Intermediate thrush-eel has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Intermediate thrush-eel live?

The Intermediate thrush-eel lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Intermediate thrush-eel get?

The Intermediate thrush-eel grows to a maximum of about 140 cm.

Is the Intermediate thrush-eel dangerous to humans?

No, the Intermediate thrush-eel is harmless to humans.

Is the Intermediate thrush-eel edible?

The Intermediate thrush-eel is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Roestige spaghetti-aal verified
English name
Intermediate thrush-eel verified
Scientific name
Moringua ferruginea
Family
Moringuidae
Other names
Rusty spaghetti eel; Rusty worm eel verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
140.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
40.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Moringua

More from the family Moringuidae

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