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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 snakelike 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 of above 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.
Apterichtus is a genus of fish in the family Ophichthidae.
Brachysomophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Neenchelys is a genus of snake eels native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. All species of Neenchelys have two rather than three preopercular pores, a significant character among many species of ophichthids.
Ophichthus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Scolecenchelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Skythrenchelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
The McCosker's worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Yusuke Hibino, Ho Hsuan-Ching, and Seishi Kimura in 2012. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the northwestern Pacific Ocean, including Taiwan and Japan. It dwells at a depth range of 100 to 400 metres, and leads a benthic lifestyle; it is collected by bottom trawlers. Males can reach a maximum total length of 52.2 centimetres (20.6 in).
The deepwater big-eyed worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 2006. It is a subtropical, marine eel which is known from New Zealand, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 425–820 metres. Females can reach a maximum total length of 58 centimetres.
The angry worm eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John E. McCosker in 1999. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern Indian and western central Pacific Ocean, including India, Indonesia, the Straits of Malacca, northern Australia, and the Philippines. It is known to inhabit shallow, turbid estuaries, and to a lesser extent the deeper water over soft substrates. Males can reach a maximum total length of 29.6 centimetres.
The snaggle-toothed snake-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker and David Ross Robertson in 2001. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from a single specimen collected from Panama, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. From the specimen it is known to dwell at a depth range of 5–10 metres, and reach a maximum total length of 104 centimetres. Based on other eel species it is estimated to inhabit burrows on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, and feed on small fish and crustaceans.
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 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 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).
Ophichthus machidai is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker, S. Ide, and Hiromitsu Endo in 2012.
Ophichthus obtusus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker, S. Ide, and Hiromitsu Endo in 2012.
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.
Yirrkala calyptra is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 2011. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Queensland Australia, in the western Pacific Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 35.8 centimetres (14.1 in), while females can reach a maximum TL of 39.5 centimetres (15.6 in).
Yirrkala moorei is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 2006. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western central Pacific Ocean, including Marquesas and American Samoa. It dwells at a depth range of 25 to 454 metres. A juvenile male specimen measured a total length of 43.4 centimetres (17.1 in).
References
- ↑ McCosker, J.E., Ide, S. & Endo, H. (2012): Three new species of ophichthid eels (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Japan. Bulletin of the National Museum of Natural Science, Ser. A., Supplement No. 6: 1-16.
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