Ophichthidae is a family of fish in the order Anguilliformes, commonly known as the snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek ophis ("serpent") and ichthys ("fish"). Snake eels are also burrowing eels, they are named for their physical appearance, they have long, cylindrical, snake-like bodies. This family is found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate waters. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from coastal shallows and even rivers, to depths below 800 m (2,600 ft). Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are pelagic.
The superorder Elopomorpha contains a variety of types of fishes that range from typical silvery-colored species, such as the tarpons and ladyfishes of the Elopiformes and the bonefishes of the Albuliformes, to the long and slender, smooth-bodied eels of the Anguilliformes. The one characteristic uniting this group of fishes is they all have leptocephalus larvae, which are unique to the Elopomorpha. No other fishes have this type of larvae.
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage, and most are predators.
Cirrhimuraena is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Neenchelys is a genus of snake eels native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. All species of Neenchelys have two rather than three preopercular pores, a significant character among many species of ophichthids.
Ophichthus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Skythrenchelys macrostoma, also known as the Large-mouth angry worm eel is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific Ocean, including Red Sea.
The Indo-Pacific slender worm-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1857. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, East Africa, the Line Islands, the Society Islands, Johnston Island, Japan, Rapa Iti, Micronesia, and the southern Great Barrier Reef. It forms burrows in inshore sediments of loose gravel and sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 38 centimetres (15 in).
The redfin worm-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by James Douglas Ogilby in 1897, originally under the genus Myropterura. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific and southeastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Red Sea, East and South Africa, Ducie Island, and Lord Howe Island. It dwells at a depth range of 1 to 26 metres, and inhabits lagoons and reefs, forming colonies in sand sediments in confined areas. Males can reach a maximum total length of 35 centimetres (14 in).
The crocodile snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Edward Turner Bennett in 1833. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including East Africa, the Society Islands, Japan, and Australia. Males can reach a maximum total length of 120 centimetres. It dwells at a depth range of 0–30 metres, and inhabits coral reefs. It forms burrows in sand and lies in wait to ambush prey, leaving only its eyes exposed. Its diet consists of octopuses, species of Calcarina, and finfish.
Cirrhimuraena calamus, known commonly as the fringed-lipped snake-eel or the fringelip snake eel, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1870. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is endemic to western Australia, in the eastern Indian Ocean. It forms burrows in the soft bottoms of inshore waters.
Cirrhimuraena chinensis is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1856. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from China and Papua New Guinea, in the western Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum standard length of 54.8 centimetres.
The Inhaca fringelip is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by J.L.B. Smith in 1962. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Indian Ocean, including Inhaca Island, Mozambique and Madagascar. Males can reach a maximum total length of 23 centimetres (9.1 in).
Cirrhimuraena oliveri is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Alvin Seale in 1910. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Philippines, in the western central Pacific Ocean.
Cirrhimuraena orientalis is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Nguyen Khac Huong in 1993. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from Vietnam, in the western Pacific Ocean.
The fringelip snake-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1870. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kosi Bay, South Africa, and the Hawaiian Islands. Its lifestyle is mostly benthic but it sometimes swims at the surface. It is olive brown in colour, with lighter colouring in the ventral region. Males can reach a maximum total length of 39 centimetres (15 in).
Cirrhimuraena tapeinoptera is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1863. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-West Pacific.
The many-eyed snake-eel is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1864. It is a tropical, marine and freshwater-dwelling eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including East Africa and the Hawaiian Islands. It dwells at a depth of 2 to 25 metres, and inhabits sand and rubble sediments near coral reefs. Males can reach a total length of 62.5 centimetres (24.6 in).
Ophichthus tchangi is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Tang Wen-Qiao and Zhang Chun-Guang in 2002. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the eastern China Sea, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Chauligenion camelopardalis, also known as the Giraffe-spotted snake eel, is a species of fish in the family Ophichthidae found in the Pacific Ocean. This species occurs at the west of Okinawa in the East China Sea. This species is the only known member of its genus.
