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 New Zealand longfin eel, also known as ōrea, is a species of freshwater eel that is endemic to New Zealand. It is the largest freshwater eel in New Zealand and the only endemic species – the other eels found in New Zealand are the native shortfin eel, also found in Australia, and the naturally introduced Australian longfin eel. Longfin eels are long-lived, migrating to the Pacific Ocean near Tonga to breed at the end of their lives. They are good climbers as juveniles and so are found in streams and lakes a long way inland. An important traditional food source for Māori, who name them ōrea, longfin eel numbers are declining and they are classified as endangered, but over one hundred tonnes are still commercially fished each year.
The bulldog catshark is a species of shark belonging to the family Pentanchidae, the deepwater catsharks/ This shark is found in the deep waters of the East China Sea and in the Northwest Pacific. In New Zealand waters it is found at the Reinga Ridge, the West Norfolk Ridge, the Hikurangi Trough and the Chatham Rise as well as on the Campbell Plateau.
Hyloxalus pinguis or the Malvasa rocket frog is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to Colombia where it is only known from its type locality, on the Cordillera Central, the Cauca Department.
Pristimantis pinguis is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is endemic to Peru where it is known from the region of its type locality in the Celendín Province as well as from the western slopes of the Cordillera Occidental in the Cajamarca Region. Its natural habitat is tropical high-altitude grassland at elevations of 3,000–3,916 m (9,843–12,848 ft) asl. This little-known species is potentially threatened by habitat loss caused by agricultural development.
Microkayla pinguis is a species of frog in the family Strabomantidae. It is endemic to Bolivia and only known from its type locality in Inquisivi Province, La Paz Department. It is known from an area consisting of a mixture of elfin forest and pastures, where it was found under stones in a humid stream bed. Smallholder agriculture and climate change are potential threats to this species.
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage and are usually predators.
Cyclura pinguis, the Anegada rock iguana, Anegada ground iguana or stout iguana, is a critically endangered species of lizard of the genus Cyclura belonging to the family Iguanidae. The species can be found exclusively in the islands of Anegada and Guana. Historically, it inhabited the islands of Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas; however, the animal's original range has been greatly diminished over prehistory.
Protanguilla palau is a species of eel, the only species in the genus Protanguilla, which is in turn the only genus in its family, Protanguillidae. Its common name is Palauan primitive cave eel. Individuals were found swimming in March 2010 in a deep underwater cave in a fringing reef off the coast of Palau.
Eels are elongated fish, ranging in length from five centimetres (2 in) to four metres (13 ft). Adults range in weight from 30 grams to over 25 kilograms. They possess no pelvic fins, and many species also lack pectoral fins. The dorsal and anal fins are fused with the caudal or tail fin, forming a single ribbon running along much of the length of the animal. Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean and burrow into sand, mud, or amongst rocks. A majority of eel species are nocturnal and thus are rarely seen. Sometimes, they are seen living together in holes, or "eel pits". Some species of eels live in deeper water on the continental shelves and over the slopes deep as 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). Only members of the family Anguillidae regularly inhabit fresh water, but they too return to the sea to breed.
The Indo-Pacific shorttail conger, also known as the short-tail conger, is an eel in the family Colocongridae. It was described by Chan William Lai-Yee in 1967. It is a marine, deep-water dwelling eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including southern Mozambique, Natal, South Africa, the South China Sea, and eastern Australia. It dwells at a maximum depth of 810 metres (2,660 ft). Males are known to reach a maximum total length of 51 centimetres (20 in).
Callechelys catostoma, the black-striped snake eel or dark band snake eel,) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider and Johann Reinhold Forster in 1801. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea, East Africa, the Society Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and Lord Howe Island. It dwells at a depth range of 1–32 metres, and inhabits reefs. It burrows into loose gravel and sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 85 centimetres (33 in).
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).
The armless snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by François Étienne Delaroche in 1809. It is a subtropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Spain, Mauritania, and the Mediterranean. It dwells at a depth range of 20–80 metres, and forms burrows in mud or sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 150 centimetres.
The Finned worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Coenraad Jacob Temminck and Hermann Schlegel in 1846. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including East Africa, the Society Islands, and southern Japan. It is known to dwell in reefs. It is the only worm eel in its region which possesses pectoral fins. Males can reach a maximum total length of 60 centimetres.
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).
The longfin spotted snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt in 1993. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 44 to 64 metres, and inhabits sandy substrates. Males can reach a maximum total length of 51 centimetres.
The magnificent snake eel, also known as the Hawaiian spotted snake eel, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Charles Conrad Abbott in 1860, originally under the genus Pisodonophis. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central Pacific Ocean, including the Hawaiian Islands, the Leeward Islands, Johnston Island, and Midway Atoll. It dwells at a depth range of 1 to 262 metres, and inhabits crevices, sand and rocks. Males can reach a maximum total length of 78 centimetres (31 in).
The spotted snake eel, also known as the tiger snake eel or the spotted tiger snake eel, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Charles Frédéric Girard in 1859. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, and Peru. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 60 metres, and inhabits benthic sediments of mud and sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 74 centimetres (29 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 60 centimetres (24 in).
