| Echidna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Snowflake moray, Echidna nebulosa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Muraenidae |
| Subfamily: | Muraeninae |
| Genus: | Echidna J. R. Forster, 1788 [1] |
| Species | |
See text. | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Echidna is a genus of moray eels in the family Muraenidae. [3]
Echidna species lack canine teeth. [4]
They generally eat crustaceans. [5]
As of 2017 [update] , FishBase and WoRMS recognize the following eleven species in Echidna: [3] [6]
In addition to the species listed above, the zebra moray (Gymnomuraena zebra) has sometimes been included in Echidna.
Moray eels, or Muraenidae, are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are found in fresh water.
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, as 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.
Muraena is a genus of twelve species of large eels in the family Muraenidae.
Gymnothorax is a genus of fish in the family Muraenidae found in Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. With more than 120 species, it the most speciose genus of moray eels.
Enchelycore is a genus of moray eels in the family Muraenidae. Enchelycore species are generally small to medium-sized eels, most ranging from 2 to 3 feet in length, with the largest being the Mosaic Moray, which reaches a length of 6 feet (180 cm). Members of the genus feature distinctive, curved jaws that prevent them from fully closing their mouth and aids them in catching, and holding on to prey. Enchelycore species can also feature extremely bright colors and ornate markings.
Uropterygius is a genus of moray eels in the family Muraenidae.
The zebra moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae. It is the only member of the genus Gymnomuraena, though it sometimes has been included in Echidna instead.
The yellow-edged moray, also known as yellow-margin(ed) moray, leopard moray, and speckled moray, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific Oceans at depths to 150 m (500 ft).
The barred moray, also known as the banded moray, the dark-banded eel, the girdled moray, the girdled reef eel, the many banded moray eel, the ringed moray, the ringed reef moray, the striped moray and the zebra eel,) is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae. It was described by John Richardson in 1845, originally under the genus Muraena. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, East Africa, the Hawaiian Islands, the Marquesan Islands, the Tuamotus Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. It dwells at a depth range of 2 to 20 metres, and leads a benthic lifestyle in reefs and shallow lagoons. Males can reach a maximum total length of 72.3 centimetres (28.5 in). It is sometimes confused with the Zebra moray (Gymnomuraena).
The snowflake moray, also known as the clouded moray among many vernacular names, is a species of marine eel of the family Muraenidae. It has blunt teeth ideal for its diet of crustaceans, a trait it shares with the zebra moray.
Echidna amblyodon, the Sulawesi moray is a moray eel found in the western central Pacific Ocean. It was described by Bleeker in 1856, originally under the genus Muraena. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Indonesia, in the western central Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 20.5 centimetres (8.1 in).
Echidna delicatula, the mottled moray, also known as the fine-speckled moray, is a moray eel. It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1856, originally under the genus Poecilophis. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including Sri Lanka, Samoa, and Japan. It inhabits coral reefs. It can reach a maximum total length of 65 centimetres (26 in).
Echidna leucotaenia, the whiteface moray, also known as the white-banded moray eel, is a moray eel. It was described by Schultz in 1943. It is a tropical, marine and freshwater eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including East Africa, the Line Islands, the Tuamotu Islands, and Johnston Island. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 24 metres, and leads a benthic lifestyle in reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 75 centimetres (30 in).
Echidna peli is a moray eel found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It was first named by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1856, and is commonly known as the pebbletooth moray.
Echidna rhodochilus is a moray eel found in the Pacific and Indian oceans, around India and the Philippines. It was first named by Bleeker in 1863, and is commonly known as the pink-lipped moray eel.
The blackcheek moray eel or masked moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
Moringua is a genus of eels of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Moringuidae, the spaghetti eels. These eels occur in shallow tropical and subtropical waters.
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