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.
Myrichthys is a genus of snake eels currently containing 11 recognized species found in tropical and warm temperate oceans worldwide.
Brachysomophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Cirrhimuraena is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Echelus is a genus of eels in the snake-eel family Ophichthidae.
Herpetoichthys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the subfamily Ophichthinae, the snake eels, in the family Ophichthidae, which also includes the worm eels. These eels are found in the Eastern pacific and Eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Lamnostoma is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Letharchus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Muraenichthys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Myrophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Mystriophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Ophisurus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Paraletharchus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Pisodonophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Pseudomyrophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Schultzidia is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. The name of this genus honors American ichthyologist Leonard Peter Schultz (1901-1986), one of the describers of the type species, Muraenichthys johnstonensis. It currently contains the following species:
Yirrkala is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It is named after Yirrkala, an indigenous community in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Scolecenchelys puhioilo is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 1979, originally under the genus Muraenichthys. The specific name puhioilo is derived from Hawaiian puhi oilo, which refers to "small eels about as large in diameter as a finger".
The saddled snake-eel, also known commonly as the halfbanded snake-eel, the banded snake eel, or the culverin, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by George Tradescant Lay and Edward Turner Bennett in 1839, originally under the genus Ophisurus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific and southeastern Atlantic Ocean, including East and South Africa, the Hawaiian Islands, the Marquesan Islands, the Mangaréva islands, Japan, and Australia. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 70 metres, most often around 0 to 10 metres, and inhabits lagoons and reefs, in which it forms burrows in beds of seagrass and sandy areas. Males can reach a maximum total length of 66 centimetres (2.17 ft).
The Convict snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John Richardson in 1848. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Pacific Ocean, including Palau, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Norfolk Island. It dwells at a depth range of 3–18 m (10–59 ft), and forms burrows in the soft bottoms of inshore regions. Males can reach a maximum total length of 75.4 cm (29.7 in).
