Spotted Snake Eel Myrichthys tigrinus
by Talley Ho 
, Playa la Ropa, Thursday, February 06, 2014, 12:27 (4589 days ago)
An eel is a FISH!!!! Despite it's name, this is a harmless, pretty critter that lives in very shallow water.
We usually see one or two a day on La Ropa as the water is moving out from the shore. Look quickly, they are gone with the next wave. They are hunting, looking for little things to eat. Yesterday, we saw over 30 on our morning walk, but today, it was back to normal: 2
When you are in the water and feel something moving around your feet and legs, this is who it most likely is. They won't hurt you physically, but embarrass me
horribly when I scream like a girl and run out of the water in surprise!
When our dog had it happen, she looked shocked and looked around until she saw the eel. She jumped up vertically and ran out of the water. We are sure that if she had been able to, she would have screamed like a girl, too.
Again, HARMLESS, fun to see.
Spotted Snake Eel Myrichthys tigrinus
So, it's a spotted snake eel! That solves a mystery for me, 'cuz one day one of these critters came up on the beach at La Ropa and one of the local beach vendors said it was a sea snake. One look at the head and it was clearly an eel, not a snake. He insisted it was a snake. Appears we were both right, sort of.
It was fascinating to watch this thing burrow into the sand tail-first.
Spotted Eel
by northbay , Friday, February 07, 2014, 05:57 (4588 days ago) @ HolyMole
edited by northbay, Friday, February 07, 2014, 06:06
This was taken on La Ropa a few years ago. We had the same experience - they wrapped around your ankles. Seemed harmless.
![[image]](http://home.centurytel.net/northbay/eel.jpg)
