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.
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.
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.
Lamnostoma is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Leiuranus 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.
Ophisurus 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:
Scolecenchelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
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.
Neenchelys cheni is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Johnson T. F. Chen and Herman Ting-Chen Weng in 1967, originally under the genus Myrophis. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from Taiwan, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum standard length of 35 centimetres (14 in).
Brachysomophis longipinnis is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and John Ernest Randall in 2001. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from a single specimen collected from Taiwan, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 50 metres, and is known to reach a total length of 42.1 centimetres.
The turret snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and John Ernest Randall in 2001. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific, including Indonesia and the Philippines. It dwells at a depth range of 14 to 18 metres, and inhabits sand and reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 13.9 centimetres (5.5 in).
Mystriophis crosnieri, known commonly as the spoon-nose eel in the United Kingdom, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Jacques Blache in 1971. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Senegal, Angola, and the western Mediterranean. It dwells at a depth range of 75 to 300 metres, and forms burrows in sand and mud sediments on the continental shelf. Males can reach a maximum total length of 96.5 centimetres (38.0 in).
The African spoon-nose 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 eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Mauritania and Namibia. It is known to dwell at an approximate depth of 40 metres, and inhabits lagoons and coastal waters. It leads a benthic lifestyle, burrowing into sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 140 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of 80 cm.
