The Painted eel (Echelus myrus) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, originally under the genus Muraena. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Bay of Biscay, the Republic of Congo, and the Mediterranean.

Painted eel (Echelus myrus) was first described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). It occurs at the depth of 3-550 meters. It digs shallow burrows in the muddy, argillaceous and sandy bottom and hides there. It often enters the lower part of the limans and coastal lagoons.