Ophichthidae is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

in the order

Anguilliformes Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stag ...

, commonly known as the snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

''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 The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

to warm

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

waters. They inhabit a wide

range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

of habitats, from coastal shallows and even

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

s, to depths below . Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...

. These species range in

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

from to or more. Many species lack fins altogether, improving their ability to burrow into the substrate like worms. They are often spotted or striped in colour, mimicking the appearance of venomous

sea snake Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are elapid snakes that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. They belong to two subfamilies, Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae. Hydrophiinae also includes Australasian terrestrial snakes, wher ...

s to deter predators. Often, they are washed ashore by large storms.

Genera

Currently, 62 recognized genera are placed in this family: *Subfamily Myrophinae ** '' Ahlia'' Jordan & Davis, 1891 ** '' Asarcenchelys'' McCosker, 1985 ** ''

Benthenchelys ''Benthenchelys'' is a genus of deep sea eels in the snake-eel family Ophichthidae, with these species: * '' Benthenchelys cartieri'' Fowler, 1934 * '' Benthenchelys indicus'' Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built durin ...

'' Fowler, 1934 ** '' Glenoglossa'' McCosker, 1982 ** '' Mixomyrophis'' McCosker, 1985 ** '' Muraenichthys'' Bleeker, 1853 ** '' Myrophis'' Lütken, 1852 ** '' Neenchelys'' Bamber, 1915 ** '' Pseudomyrophis'' Wade, 1946 ** '' Pylorobranchus'' McCosker & Chen, 2012 McCosker, J.E., Loh, K.-H., Lin, J. & Chen, H.-M. (2012)
''Pylorobranchus hoi'', a New Genus and Species of Myrophine Worm-Eel from Taiwan (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae).
''Zoological Studies, 51 (7): 1188-1194.'' ** ''

Schismorhynchus ''Schismorhynchus labialis'', the grooved-jaw worm-eel, is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. It is the only member of its genus. It is known from the Indian and Pacific Oceans The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest o ...

'' McCosker, 1970 ** '' Schultzidia'' Gosline, 1951 ** '' Scolecenchelys'' Ogilby, 1897 ** '' Skythrenchelys'' Castle & McCosker, 1999 ** '' Sympenchelys'' Hibino, Ho & Kimura, 2015 Hibino, Y., Ho, H.-C. & Kimura, S. (2015)
A new genus and species of worm eels, ''Sympenchelys taiwanensis'' (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae: Myrophinae), from the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
''Zootaxa, 4060 (1): 41–48.'' * Subfamily Ophichthinae ** ''

Allips ''Allips concolor'' is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. The only member of its genus, it is found in the eastern Indian Ocean in shallow waters around Thailand and Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Austral ...

'' McCosker, 1972 ** '' Aplatophis'' Böhlke, 1956 ** '' Aprognathodon'' Böhlke, 1967 ** '' Apterichtus'' Duméril, 1805 ** '' Bascanichthys'' Jordan & Davis, 1891 ** '' Brachysomophis'' Kaup, 1856 ** '' Caecula'' Vahl, 1794 ** '' Callechelys'' Kaup, 1856 ** '' Caralophia'' Böhlke, 1955 ** '' Chauligenion'' McCosker & Okamoto, 2016 McCosker, J.E. & Okamoto, M. (2016)
''Chauligenion camelopardalis'', a New Genus and Species of Deepwater Snake Eel (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from the East China Sea.
''Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 63 (9): 321-328.'' ** ''

Cirrhimuraena ''Cirrhimuraena'' is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. Species There are currently 10 recognized species in this genus: * ''Cirrhimuraena calamus'' (Albert Günther, Günther, 1870) * ''Cirrhimuraena cheilopogon'' (Pieter Bl ...

'' Kaup, 1856 ** '' Cirricaecula'' Schultz, 1953 ** '' Dalophis'' Rafinesque, 1810 ** '' Echelus'' Rafinesque, 1810 ** ''

Echiophis ''Echiophis'' is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species: * ''Echiophis brunneus'' (José Luis Castro-Aguirre, Castro-Aguirre & Sergio Suárez de los Cobos, Suárez de los Cobos, 1983) (P ...

'' Kaup, 1856 ** ''

Ethadophis ''Ethadophis'' is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species: * ''Ethadophis akkistikos'' John E. McCosker, McCosker & James Erwin Böhlke, J. E. Böhlke, 1984 (Indifferent eel) * ''Ethadoph ...

'' Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970 ** '' Evips'' McCosker, 1972 ** '' Gordiichthys'' Jordan & Davis, 1891 ** '' Hemerorhinus'' Weber & de Beaufort, 1916 ** '' Herpetoichthys'' Kaup, 1856 ** '' Hyphalophis'' McCosker & Böhlke, 1982 ** '' Ichthyapus'' Brisout de Barneville, 1847 ** '' Kertomichthys'' McCosker & Böhlke, 1982 ** '' Lamnostoma'' Kaup, 1856 ** '' Leiuranus'' Bleeker, 1852 ** '' Leptenchelys'' Myers & Wade, 1941 ** '' Letharchus'' Goode & Bean, 1882 ** '' Lethogoleos'' McCosker & Böhlke, 1982 ** '' Leuropharus'' Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970 ** '' Luthulenchelys'' McCosker, 2007 ** ''

Malvoliophis ''Malvoliophis pinguis'', or the halfband snake-eel, is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. It is the only member of its genus. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Australia and Lord Howe Island Lord Howe ...

'' Whitley, 1934 ** '' Myrichthys'' Girard, 1859 ** '' Mystriophis'' Kaup, 1856 ** '' Ophichthus'' Ahl, 1789 ** ''

Ophisurus ''Ophisurus'' is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species: * '' Ophisurus macrorhynchos'' Bleeker, 1853 * '' Ophisurus serpens'' (Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 Ja ...

'' Lacépède, 1800 ** '' Paraletharchus'' McCosker, 1974 ** '' Phaenomonas'' Myers & Wade, 1941 ** '' Phyllophichthus'' Gosline, 1951 ** ''

Pisodonophis ''Pisodonophis'' is a genus of eels in the snake eel family Ophichthidae. It currently contains the following species: * ''Pisodonophis boro'' (Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, F. Hamilton, 1822) (rice-paddy eel) * ''Pisodonophis cancrivorus'' (John R ...

'' Kaup, 1856 ** '' Quassiremus'' Jordan & Davis, 1891 ** ''

Rhinophichthus ''Rhinophichthus penicillatus'' is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. It is the only member of its genus. It is known only in the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the ...

'' McCosker, 1999 ** '' Scytalichthys'' Jordan & Davis, 1891 ** '' Stictorhinus'' Böhlke & McCosker, 1975 ** '' Suculentophichthus'' Fricke, Golani & Appelbaum-Golani, 2015 Fricke, R., Golani, D. & Appelbaum-Golani, B. (2015)
''Suculentophichthus nasus'', a new genus and new species of snake eel from the northern Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea (Teleostei: Ophichthidae).
''Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 16: 56–66.'' ** '' Xestochilus'' McCosker, 1998 ** '' Xyrias'' Jordan & Snyder, 1901 ** ''

Yirrkala Yirrkala is a small community in East Arnhem Region, Northern Territory, Australia, southeast of the large mining town of Nhulunbuy, on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land. Its population comprises predominantly Aboriginal Australians of the ...

'' Whitley, 1940

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q923919 Eels Ray-finned fish families Marine fish families Extant Eocene first appearances Taxa named by Albert Günther