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, 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.
Ophichthus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Cirrhimuraena yuanding is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Tang Wen-Qiao and Zhang Chun-Guang in 2003. It is a subtropical, marine eel which is known from the East China Sea, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 52 centimetres.
The dark deepwater snake-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Chen Yu-Yun in 2000. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from Taiwan, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 36–1350 m, and inhabits sand and mud. Specimens have been observed in burrows with only their heads exposed, or resting on sediment with their bodies curved in an S shape. Females can reach a maximum total length of 62.8 cm.
The Napoleon snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1856, originally under the genus Poecilocephalus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including Durban, South Africa, Mauritius, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, and the Penghu Islands. It is known to dwell at a depth of 20 metres (66 ft), and inhabits lagoons and reefs; it forms solitary burrows in sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 75 centimetres (30 in).
Ophichthus brevicaudatus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Chu Yuan-Ting, Wu Han-Lin and Jin Xin-Bo in 1981. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from its type locality in the Taiwan Strait, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
The snubnose snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Steve W. Ross in 2007. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from North Carolina, USA, in the western central Atlantic Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 370 to 440 meters. Females can reach a total length of 29.2 centimeters (11.5 in).
The dark-shouldered snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1864. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Pacific Ocean, including the East Indies, the Society Islands, the Mariana Islands, Queensland, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Japan, and India. It dwells at a depth range of 2–15 metres, and inhabits reefs. It forms burrows in mud and sand, and forages during the night. Males can reach a maximum total length of 115 centimetres.
The dusky snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Camillo Ranzani in 1839. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including Cuba and Brazil.
Ophichthus fasciatus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Chu Yuan-Ting and Jin Xin-Bo in 1981, originally under the genus Microdonophis. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the northwestern Pacific Ocean, including China and the Peng-hu Islands. Males can reach a maximum total length of 11.5 centimetres (4.5 in).
The faintsaddled snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Eugenia Brandt Böhlke in 1984. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the western central Atlantic Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 108 meters.
Ophichthus ishiyamorum is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 2010. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the Gulf of Aden and Somalia. It dwells at a depth range of 258 to 400 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 43.7 centimetres (17.2 in).
Ophichthus lentiginosus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 2010. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from Vanuatu and New Caledonia, in the western central Pacific Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 400 metres (1,300 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 62.8 centimetres (24.7 in), while females can reach a maximum TL of 56.3 centimetres (22.2 in).
The longarmed snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt in 1998. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama. It is known to dwell at a depth range of 24 to 79 metres, and inhabits soft substrates. Males can reach a maximum total length of 27.4 centimetres (10.8 in).
Ophichthus melope is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt in 1998. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Colombia and Costa Rica. It dwells at a depth range of 100 to 224 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 27 centimetres (11 in).
The dottedline snake eel is a species of eels in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and Eugenia Brandt Böhlke in 1984. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the western central Atlantic Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 183 meters.
The many-eyed snake-eel is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1864. It is a tropical, marine and freshwater-dwelling eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including East Africa and the Hawaiian Islands. It dwells at a depth of 2 to 25 metres, and inhabits sand and rubble sediments near coral reefs. Males can reach a total length of 62.5 centimetres (24.6 in).
The king snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by James Erwin Böhlke and John H. Caruso in 1980. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Florida to Texas, USA, in the northern Gulf of Mexico in the western Atlantic Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 15 to 365 meters, and inhabits offshore waters. Males can reach a maximum total length of 211 centimeters (83 in); the maximum recorded weight is 23.6 kilograms (52 lb). caught by Patrick Lemire on the Texsun II out of Galveston, Texas in 1997.
The rufus snake-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1810, originally under the genus Echelus. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from throughout the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, including Algeria, Albania, Croatia, Egypt, France, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Israel, Montenegro, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Monaco, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Turkey. It inhabits mud sediments on the continental shelf. Males can reach a maximum total length of 60 centimetres (24 in).
Ophichthus shaoi, the long-bodied snake eel, is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It is found around Taiwan. This species reaches a length of 62.3 cm (24.5 in).
