Shortfinned worm eel
species of fish
The shortfinned worm eel (Scolecenchelys australis, also known commonly as the shortfin worm eel, worm eel, southern worm eel, Down's worm eel, or Tasmanian worm eel) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by William John Macleay in 1881, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from Australia, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It forms large colonies which inhabit burrows in soft sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 40 centimetres (16 in).
The shortfinned worm eel's diet consists primarily of benthic crustaceans and polychaetes.
“Shortfinned worm eel” enters the record as species of fish. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Shortfinned, worm and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Shortfinned worm eel” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Shortfinned, worm and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 26, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q2074425. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1881.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Shortfinned worm eel”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Shortfinned worm eel primary sources, Shortfinned worm eel archive and Shortfinned research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Shortfinned worm eel”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Shortfinned worm eel” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.