Maldives Marine Life

Marine life of Maldivian waters

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Rusty spaghetti eel
No photo available
Illustration
Illustration: Homefront / Abacus AI, © Homefront AuctionsOriginal illustration based on published descriptions

Rusty spaghetti eel

Moringua ferruginea

Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).

English
Rusty spaghetti eel
Scientific
Moringua ferruginea
Dhivehi
No recorded Dhivehi name
Group
Eels
Family
Moringuidae (spaghetti eels)
Maximum size
Up to about 1.4 m (total length)
Depth and habitat
Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 0 to 40 m
IUCN status
DD · Data DeficientData Deficient (DD), assessed 2019

Description

A very long, thin, worm-like eel with tiny eyes and reduced fins, reaching about 1.4 m. It lives buried in sand on reef flats and lagoons and is rarely seen.

Sources

Dhivehi name source: No Dhivehi name found in MRS 1997 (available chapters), FishBase (country: Maldives) or Dhivehi Wikipedia.