The painted eel[1] (Echelus myrus) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[2] It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, originally under the genus Muraena.[3] It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Bay of Biscay, the Republic of Congo, and the Mediterranean. It dwells at a depth range of 3mto12mm (10feetto39feetm), and inhabits burrows formed in sand and mud sediments in coastal lagoons and estuaries. Males can reach a maximum total length of 100cm (00inches), but more commonly reach a TL of 60cm (20inches).[2]
The Painted eel is of minor commercial interest to fisheries.[2] It has been recorded spawning in the Bay of Algiers during the months of August and September.[4]