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.
Gordiichthys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
The Gilbert's garden eel, also known as the Gilbert's conger and the sharpnose conger, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by James Douglas Ogilby in 1898, originally under the genus Congrellus. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including the Gulf of California, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Colombia. It is a benthic and nocturnal species, and inhabits sand flats in reefs, bays and coves at a depth range of 1–100 metres. It burrows into sand during the day and emerges to forage during the night. Males can reach a maximum total length of 27 centimetres.
The slope conger, also known as the black-fin conger, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Charles Henry Gilbert in 1891, originally under the genus Ophisoma. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the southeastern and eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. It is known to dwell at a depth range of 380–740 metres, and inhabits substrates. Males can reach a maximum total length of 35 centimetres.
Rhynchoconger ectenurus, known commonly as the longnose conger in Australia, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by David Starr Jordan in Robert Earl Richardson in 1909, originally under the genus Leptocephalus. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including northern Australia, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and the eastern China Sea. It inhabits soft sediments on the continental shelf and slope. Males can reach a maximum total length of 65 centimetres.
Cynoponticus coniceps, the red pike conger or conehead eel, is an eel in the family Muraenesocidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1882, originally under the genus Muraenesox. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Nicaragua. It dwells at a depth range of 10 to 100 metres, and inhabits sediments of sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 202 centimetres (80 in); the maximum recorded weight is 11.0 kilograms (24.3 lb).
The Pacific worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1883. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including California, USA, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, and Peru. It dwells at a depth range of 1 to 12 metres, and inhabits sand and mud sediments. Unlike many species of eel, it does not form burrows. Males can reach a maximum total length of 46 centimetres.
Pseudomyrophis frio is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Bradley Moore Davis in 1891, originally under the genus Myrophis. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 108 metres (354 ft). Males can reach a maximum NG of 26 centimetres (10 in).
Callechelys springeri, the ridgefin eel, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Isaac Ginsburg in 1951, originally under the genus Gordiichthys. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern Gulf of Mexico, in the western Atlantic Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 22 to 36 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 80.1 centimeters (31.5 in).
The Indifferent eel is a species of eels in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and James Erwin Böhlke in 1984. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western central Atlantic Ocean, including Panama, Nicaragua, Suriname, and Texas, USA. It dwells at a depth range of 55 to 58 meters.
Gordiichthys combibus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Robert J. Lavenberg in 2001. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Colombia, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth range of 0 to 2 metres, and inhabit shallow water. Males can reach a maximum total length of 40.6 centimetres (16.0 in).
The Irksone eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker, Eugenia Brandt Böhlke, and James Erwin Böhlke in 1989. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from a single specimen discovered in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, in the western central Atlantic Ocean. From the holotype, it is known to dwell at a depth range of 10 to 189 meters.
The String eel is a species of eels in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and James Erwin Böhlke in 1984. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the western central and northwestern Atlantic Ocean, including Florida, USA; Puerto Rico, and Canada. It dwells at a depth range of 37 to 72 meters, and inhabits mud and sand sediments.
Gordiichthys randalli is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and James Erwin Böhlke in 1984. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Puerto Rico, in the western central Atlantic Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 8 to 12 metres, and inhabits sand and algal beds in shallow water.
The smiling snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1882, originally under the genus Apterichthys. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Mexico. It dwells at a maximum depth of 30 metres (98 ft), and inhabits sediments of sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 41 centimetres (16 in).
The goldspotted eel, also known as the goldspotted snake eel or the dark-spotted snake eel, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1825, originally under the genus Muraenophis. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda, southern Florida, USA; the Bahamas, Santa Catarina, and Brazil. It dwells at a maximum depth of 15 metres (49 ft), and inhabits rocky and coral reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 110 centimetres (3.6 ft).
The Clarion snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Ernest Alexander McGregor in 1898. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from Mexico, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. It inhabits shallow waters - at a maximum depth of 20 metres - and is found around rocks and sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 49.4 centimetres.
The wrinkled snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Harvey Bollman in 1890. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including the Galapagos Islands and the Cocos Islands. It is also speculated to occur in Malpelo Island. It is known to dwell at a depth of 200 metres (660 ft), and inhabits sediments of sand and rubble. Males can reach a maximum total length of 68 centimetres (27 in).
The Marble-toothed snake-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Charles Henry Gilbert in 1898. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. It dwells in shallow waters at a maximum depth of 10 metres (33 ft), and inhabits sand and mud sediments and mangroves. Males can reach a maximum total length of 68 centimetres (27 in).
The Galapagos snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Harvey Bollman in 1890. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Colombia, the Gulf of California, Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, and Clarion Island in the Revillagigedo Archipelago in Mexico. It dwells at a depth range of 3 to 80 metres, and inhabits reefs, preferring to live in areas bearing a mixture of boulders, gravel and sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 71 centimetres (28 in).
