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.
Uropterygius is a genus of moray eels in the family Muraenidae.
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. Many of its species are called finless eels.
Brachysomophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Callechelys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following fifteen species:
Echelus is a genus of eels in the snake-eel family Ophichthidae.
Ethadophis is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Gordiichthys is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species:
Ichthyapus is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae.
Ophichthus 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.
The Sailfin snake-eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 1974. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 17 metres, and inhabits sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 31 centimetres (12 in).
The Sailfin eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Raymond Carroll Osburn and John Treadwell Nichols in 1916, originally under the genus Letharchus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama. It is known to dwell at a depth of 35 metres (115 ft), and inhabits rock and sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 81 centimetres (32 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.
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.
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 ori is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by John E. McCosker in 2011. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from South Africa, in the western Indian Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 20 metres (66 ft), and inhabits substrates with coarse sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 43.8 centimetres (17.2 in), while females can reach a maximum TL of 35.3 centimetres (13.9 in).
