Banded snake eel (Myrichthys colubrinus) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
Ringed snake eel, Harlequin eel
Family
Ophichthidae (snake eels)
Origin
Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, Japan to Australia and Hawaii; reefs, sand flats and seagrass
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
97 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.023–1.026
Care level
expert
Temperament
semi_aggressive
Reef safe
no

Care

A black-and-white ringed snake eel that closely resembles the highly venomous sea krait. It is harmless itself: the likeness is thought to protect it. It actively probes burrows with its head and digs with its tail, so it needs a deep, soft sand bed and very secure lids. Most adults are 51–68 cm, but they reach 97 cm. Its breeding and long-term care are poorly known. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though data are limited. Water figures here are general marine aquarium guidance, not species-specific: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, salinity SG 1.023–1.026. Adults grow far too large for home aquaria and are for public-aquarium-sized systems; no home tank size is given. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrichthyscolubrinus). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Hunts crabs, shrimps and other crustaceans in burrows and sand. In captivity offer meaty seafood such as shrimp, crab meat and squid with tongs.

Breeding

Not recorded in captivity. The larvae are drifting, leaf-like leptocephali and the larval stage is thought to be long.

Compatibility and tank mates

Not reef safe: it eats shrimps, crabs and other crustaceans. Usually ignores fish too large to swallow and tolerates the fish that follow it while hunting.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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