Blind Eel vs Long-tailed Sylph

Eptatretus cirrhatus compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Blind Eel	Long-tailed Sylph
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Myxini (Myxini)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Myxiniformes (Myxiniformes)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Myxinidae	Trochilidae
Genus	Eptatretus	Aglaiocercus
Species	Eptatretus cirrhatus	Aglaiocercus kingii

Evolutionary Relationship

Blind Eel and Long-tailed Sylph share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Blind Eel

LC — Least Concern

Long-tailed Sylph

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Blind Eel	Long-tailed Sylph
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Blind Eel

Long-tailed Sylph

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Blind Eel

The Blind Eel (Eptatretus cirrhatus) is a species in the genus Eptatretus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Long-tailed Sylph

One of the most strikingly ornamented hummingbirds, male long-tailed sylphs have iridescent green plumage and dramatically elongated, ribbon-like outer tail feathers reaching up to 22 cm — over three times the body length. Found in Andean cloud forests of Colombia and Venezuela, they inhabit humid montane forest between 1,400–2,800 meters elevation. Males perform elaborate display flights to attract females. Their extravagant tails are a classic example of sexual selection via female preference.