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Habitat Preference, Reproduction and Diet of the Earthworm Eel, Chendol keelini (Teleostei: Chaudhuriidae)

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Abstract

The ecology of the earthworm eel, Chendol keelini, was studied in the field over a period of nine months. In addition this information was supplemented by aquarium observations. The species was most abundant in pools where it was associated with leaf litter and mats of fine tree roots along the banks. It fed on benthic invertebrates, especially chironomid and ephemeropteran larvae. C. keelini is sexually dimorphic; adult males develop a headhump and grow to a larger size than females. Reproduction was seasonal; the reproductive phase coincided with the wet season and lasted for several months. Fecundity was around 40 eggs per clutch. The eggs were spherical, between 1.2 and 1.5 mm in diameter, and possessed a pair of long filaments for adhesion to the substrate. Females probably spawned more than once during the breeding season. The length frequency distributions and juvenile growth suggest that C. keelini is a short-lived species that matures during the first year with few individuals surviving to the second breeding season.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Spezielle Zoologie, Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Robert Kerle

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore, 119260

    Robert Kerle & Peter K.L. Ng

  3. Lehrstuhl für Spezielle Zoologie, Eberhard-Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Ralf Britz

  4. Department of Ichthyology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10025, U.S.A.

    Ralf Britz

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Kerle, R., Britz, R. & Ng, P.K. Habitat Preference, Reproduction and Diet of the Earthworm Eel, Chendol keelini (Teleostei: Chaudhuriidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 57, 413–422 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007631312359

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