Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Speckled Worm Eel

SPECKLED WORM EEL - Myrophis punctatus

Description: The Speckled Worm Eel is one of the most common eels in the Texas bay systems. Like all eels, it has a caudal fin and burrows backwards down into soft bottoms during the daylight hours and is most active at night. While in their burrows, they are difficult to find because they leave only their heads and nostrils exposed.
Coloration: Pale brown and it is heavily speckled on the upper body and sides of it's body with pepper like black spots. The ventral surface is light.
Where Found: The Speckled Worm Eel can be found from the coasts of North Carolina to Bermuda and throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean to the coasts of Brazil.
Habitat: They are found from Mangrove Swamps to the offshore reefs. Tidal creeks, brackish estuaries and they are even known to occasionally enter fresh water. It can be especially prolific in the grass flats of the Laguna Madre.
Size: The Speckled Worm Eel can reach lengths up to 2 ft.
Remarks: As adults, the Speckled Worm Eel migrates offshore to spawn and only the juveniles are found inshore.