Ophichthidae
Encyclopedia
Ophichthidae is a family
of eel
s, comprising species commonly called worm eels and snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek
ophis ("serpent") and ichthys ("fish").
Ophichthids are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate
waters. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from coastal shallows, and even rivers, to depths of above 750 metres (2,460.6 ft). Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are pelagic.
Ophichthid species range from 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length. Many species lack fins altogether, improving their ability to burrow into the substrate like worms. They are often spotted or striped in colour, mimicking the appearance of venomous sea snakes to deter predators.
Often will be washed ashore by large storms.
Family Ophichthidae
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
s, comprising species commonly called worm eels and snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
ophis ("serpent") and ichthys ("fish").
Ophichthids are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
waters. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from coastal shallows, and even rivers, to depths of above 750 metres (2,460.6 ft). Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are pelagic.
Ophichthid species range from 10 centimetres (3.9 in) to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length. Many species lack fins altogether, improving their ability to burrow into the substrate like worms. They are often spotted or striped in colour, mimicking the appearance of venomous sea snakes to deter predators.
Often will be washed ashore by large storms.
Genera
The family Ophichthidae is the largest and most diverse of the families of eels, containing around 300 species in over 50 genera:Family Ophichthidae
- Subfamily Myrophinae
- Ahlia (1 species)
- Asarcenchelys (1 species)
- BenthenchelysBenthenchelysBenthenchelys is a genus of deep sea eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Benthenchelys cartieri Fowler, 1934* Benthenchelys indicus Castle, 1972...
(3 species) - Glenoglossa (1 species)
- LeptocephalusLeptocephalus (genus)Leptocephalus is a genus that was used for species of larval eels, called leptocephali, that were thought to be new fish species, or whose adult eel species were not known...
(1 species assigned to this family (see genus article)) - Mixomyrophis (1 species)
- MuraenichthysMuraenichthysMuraenichthys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Muraenichthys elerae Fowler, 1934* Muraenichthys gymnopterus...
(7 species) - MyrophisMyrophisMyrophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Myrophis anterodorsalis McCosker, E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Böhlke, 1989 * Myrophis cheni J. S. T. F. Chen & T. C...
(8 species) - NeenchelysNeenchelysNeenchelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Neenchelys buitendijki Weber & de Beaufort, 1916 * Neenchelys daedalus McCosker, 1982...
(4 species) - PseudomyrophisPseudomyrophisPseudomyrophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Pseudomyrophis atlanticus Blache, 1975* Pseudomyrophis frio...
(5 species) - Schismorhynchus (1 species)
- SchultzidiaSchultzidiaSchultzidia is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Schultzidia johnstonensis...
(2 species) - ScolecenchelysScolecenchelysScolecenchelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Scolecenchelys acutirostris...
(20 species) - SkythrenchelysSkythrenchelysSkythrenchelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Skythrenchelys lentiginosa Castle & McCosker, 1999* Skythrenchelys zabra Castle & McCosker, 1999...
(2 species)
- Subfamily Ophichthinae
- Allips (1 species)
- AplatophisAplatophisAplatophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Aplatophis chauliodus J. E. Böhlke, 1956...
(2 species) - Aprognathodon (1 species)
- ApterichtusApterichtusApterichtus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Apterichtus anguiformis * Apterichtus ansp Apterichtus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Apterichtus anguiformis...
(14 species) - BascanichthysBascanichthysBascanichthys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Bascanichthys bascanium * Bascanichthys bascanoides R. C...
(17 species) - BrachysomophisBrachysomophisBrachysomophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Brachysomophis atlanticus Blache & Saldanha, 1972* Brachysomophis cirrocheilos...
(7 species) - CaeculaCaeculaCaecula is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Caecula cincta * Caecula kuro...
(3 species) - CallechelysCallechelysCallechelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Callechelys bilinearis Kanazawa, 1952 * Callechelys bitaeniata...
(15 species) - Caralophia (1 species)
- CirrhimuraenaCirrhimuraenaCirrhimuraena is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Cirrhimuraena calamus * Cirrhimuraena cheilopogon * Cirrhimuraena chinensis Kaup, 1856...
(10 species) - CirricaeculaCirricaeculaCirricaecula is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Cirricaecula johnsoni L. P. Schultz, l953 * Cirricaecula macdowelli McCosker & Randall, 1993...
(2 species) - DalophisDalophisDalophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Dalophis boulengeri * Dalophis cephalopeltis...
(5 species) - EchelusEchelusEchelus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Echelus myrus * Echelus pachyrhynchus...
(3 species) - EchiophisEchiophisEchiophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Echiophis brunneus...
(4 species) - EthadophisEthadophisEthadophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Ethadophis akkistikos McCosker & J. E. Böhlke, 1984...
(5 species) - Evips (1 species)
- GordiichthysGordiichthysGordiichthys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Gordiichthys combibus McCosker & Lavenberg, 2001...
(5 species) - HemerorhinusHemerorhinusHemerorhinus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Hemerorhinus heyningi * Hemerorhinus opici Blache & Bauchot, 1972...
(2 species) - Herpetoichthys (1 species)
- Hyphalophis (1 species)
- IchthyapusIchthyapusIchthyapus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Ichthyapus acuticeps * Ichthyapus insularis McCosker, 2004...
(7 species) - Kertomichthys (1 species)
- LamnostomaLamnostomaLamnostoma is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Lamnostoma kampeni * Lamnostoma mindora Lamnostoma is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Lamnostoma kampeni (Weber &...
(5 species) - LeiuranusLeiuranusLeiuranus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Leiuranus semicinctus...
(2 species) - Leptenchelys (1 species)
- LetharchusLetharchusLetharchus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Letharchus aliculatus McCosker, 1974* Letharchus rosenblatti McCosker, 1974...
(3 species) - Lethogoleos (1 species)
- Leuropharus (1 species)
- Luthulenchelys (1 species)
- Malvoliophis (1 species)
- MyrichthysMyrichthysMyrichthys is a genus of snake eels currently containing 11 recognized species found in tropical and warm temperate oceans worldwide.-Species:*Myrichthys aspetocheiros McCosker & Rosenblatt, 1993...
(11 species) - MystriophisMystriophisMystriophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Mystriophis crosnieri Blache, 1971* Mystriophis rostellatus...
(2 species) - OphichthusOphichthusOphichthus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Ophichthus alleni McCosker, 2010* Ophichthus altipennis...
(80 species) - OphisurusOphisurusOphisurus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Ophisurus macrorhynchos Bleeker, 1853* Ophisurus serpens...
(2 species) - ParaletharchusParaletharchusParaletharchus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Paraletharchus opercularis...
(2 species) - PhaenomonasPhaenomonasPhaenomonas is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Phaenomonas cooperae G. Palmer, 1970...
(3 species) - PhyllophichthusPhyllophichthusPhyllophichthus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Phyllophichthus macrurus McKay, 1970* Phyllophichthus xenodontus Gosline, 1951...
(2 species) - PisodonophisPisodonophisPisodonophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Pisodonophis boro * Pisodonophis cancrivorus...
(9 species) - QuassiremusQuassiremusQuassiremus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Quassiremus ascensionis...
(4 species) - Rhinophichthus (1 species)
- Scytalichthys (1 species)
- Stictorhinus (1 species)
- Xestochilus (1 species)
- XyriasXyriasXyrias is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Xyrias chioui McCosker, W. L. Chen & Ho. Mi. Chen, 2009* Xyrias guineensis...
(4 species) - YirrkalaYirrkala (fish)Yirrkala is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:* Yirrkala calyptra McCosker, 2011* Yirrkala chaselingi Whitley, 1940* Yirrkala gjellerupi...
(13 species)