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.
Rasbora is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae. They are native to freshwater habitats in South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeast China. A single species, R. gerlachi, is only known from an old specimen that reputedly originated from Africa (Cameroon), but this locality is considered doubtful. They are small, up to 17 cm (6.7 in) long, although most species do not surpass 10 cm (4 in) and many have a dark horizontal stripe.
Hose's palm civet, also known as Hose's civet, is a viverrid species endemic to the island of Borneo. It is listed on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable because of an ongoing population decline, estimated to be more than 30% over the last three generations and suspected to be more than 30% in the next three generations due to declines in population inferred from habitat destruction and degradation.
The Borneo shark is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. Extremely rare, it is known only from inshore waters around Mukah in northwestern Borneo, though it may once have been more widely distributed. A small, gray shark reaching 65 cm (26 in) in length, this species is the only member of its genus with a row of enlarged pores above the corners of its mouth. It has a slender body with a long, pointed snout and a low second dorsal fin placed posterior to the anal fin origin.
The giant freshwater stingray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It is found in large rivers and estuaries in Southeast Asia and Borneo, though historically it may have been more widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia. The widest freshwater fish and the largest stingray in the world, this species grows up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft) across and can reach up to 300 kg (660 lb) in weight. It has a relatively thin, oval pectoral fin disc that is widest anteriorly, and a sharply pointed snout with a protruding tip. Its tail is thin and whip-like, and lacks fin folds. This species is uniformly grayish brown above and white below; the underside of the pectoral and pelvic fins bear distinctive wide, dark bands on their posterior margins.
The white ribbon eel or ghost eel, Pseudechidna brummeri, is a species of saltwater eels, the only member of the genus Pseudechidna of the Muraenidae family. It is found in the Indo-Pacific oceans from the western Indian Ocean to Samoa, and north to the Ryukyu Islands. Its length is 8–30 inches (20–76 cm).
Echidna amblyodon, the Sulawesi moray is a moray eel found in the western central Pacific Ocean. It was described by Bleeker in 1856, originally under the genus Muraena. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Indonesia, in the western central Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 20.5 centimetres (8.1 in).
The honeycomb whipray is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, found widely in the shallow coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific from India to the Malay Archipelago. This large species grows to 1.3 m (4.3 ft) across and has a diamond-shaped disc with rounded corners and a projecting, pointed snout. Its tail is long and whip-like, without fin folds. Adults have a striking dorsal color pattern consisting of large, dark brown rings and reticulations delineated by thin yellow lines, while juveniles have a pattern of large dark spots. This ray can also be distinguished from its similar relatives by an enlarged, pearl-like dermal denticle at the center of the back, which is followed by a few thorns. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the honeycomb whipray as endangered, as it faces heavy fishing pressure and habitat degradation across much of its range.
Pisodonophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
The sea conger, also known as the big-eye conger, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853, originally under the genus Conger. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan; the eastern China Sea, and the East Indies. It leads a benthic lifestyle and dwells in sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 51 centimeters.
Gnathophis heterognathos is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1858, originally under the genus Myrophis. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including the southwestern Japanese Archipelago, the Philippines, and the South China Sea. It dwells at a depth range of 183–199 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 41.5 centimetres.
The zebra garden eel, also known as the banded garden eel, is a species of eel in the conger/garden eels family Congridae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1868. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific, including the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, New Guinea, Indonesia and Vanuatu. It inhabits shallow waters at a depth range of 1 to 10 m, and forms burrows in colonies of moderate size on sand sediments in bays, slopes and reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 34.7 cm.
Cirrhimuraena cheilopogon is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1860. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from Papua New Guinea, in the western central Pacific Ocean.
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 rice-paddy eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1822, originally in the genus Ophisurus. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-West Pacific, including Somalia, Tanzania, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Polynesia, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Madagascar, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mozambique, Seychelles, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern Yemen. It is an anadromous species and spawns in freshwater, often in rice paddies during the rainy season, earning it its common name. It also spends time in lagoons, estuaries and coastal rivers, in which it lives in burrows in the river bottom and bank. Males can reach a maximum total length (TL) of 100 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of 70 cm.
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).
Hoeven's snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853, originally under the genus Ophisurus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from three specimens found in the Indo-Western Pacific, including Sulawesi, Indonesia, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is known to inhabit shallow water and lagoons. Males are known to reach a total length of 22 centimetres (8.7 in).
Pisodonophis semicinctus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. First described by John Richardson in 1848., it is a marine, subtropical eel which is known in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Gibraltar to Angola. It was first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 1958 off Algeria and is now found on both shores of the western Basin. It dwells at a depth range of 10 to 30 m and inhabits the continental shelf, where it forms burrows in sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 80 cm, but more commonly reach a TL of 60 cm.
Yirrkala macrodon is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1863, originally under the genus Sphagebranchus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Borneo, in the western central Pacific Ocean.
