''Ophisternon'' is a genus of

swamp eel The swamp eels (also written "swamp-eels") are a family (Synbranchidae) of freshwater eel-like fishes of the tropics and subtropics. Most species are able to breathe air and typically live in marshes, ponds and damp places, sometimes burying them ...

s found in fresh and

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

waters in

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, Australia, Middle America and

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

. Two species are blind cave-dwellers.Romero, A., editor (2001). ''The Biology of Hypogean Fishes.'' Developments in Environmental Biology of Fishes.

Species

There are currently six recognized species in this genus: * ''

Ophisternon aenigmaticum ''Ophisternon'' is a genus of swamp eels found in fresh and brackish waters in South and Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, Middle America and West Africa. Two species are blind cave-dwellers.Romero, A., editor (2001). ''The Biology of Hyp ...

'' D. E. Rosen & Greenwood, 1976 (Obscure swamp eel) * ''

Ophisternon afrum ''Ophisternon'' is a genus of swamp eels found in fresh and brackish waters in South and Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, Middle America and West Africa. Two species are blind cave-dwellers.Romero, A., editor (2001). ''The Biology of Hyp ...

'' (

Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer * Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo * George Albert Boulenger (1858–1 ...

, 1909) (Guinea swamp eel) * ''

Ophisternon bengalense ''Ophisternon bengalense'' the Bengal eel, Bengal mudeel or onegill eel, is a species of fish in the family Synbranchidae. It is endemic to freshwater and brackish water rivers and swamps in Oceania and South Asia. It is normally 100 cm in ma ...

McClelland McClelland is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alyssa McClelland, Australian actress * Charles A. McClelland (1917–2006), American political systems analyst * Charles P. McClelland (1854–1944), New York politician, and US ...

, 1844 (Bengal eel) * ''

Ophisternon candidum The blind cave eel (''Ophisternon candidum'') is a species of cavefish in the family Synbranchidae. It is the longest cavefish in Australia (up to ) and one of the only three vertebrates in Australia that is restricted to underground waters, th ...

'' ( Mees, 1962) (Blind cave eel) * ''

Ophisternon gutturale ''Ophisternon'' is a genus of swamp eels found in fresh and brackish waters in South and Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, Middle America and West Africa. Two species are blind cave-dwellers.Romero, A., editor (2001). ''The Biology of Hyp ...

'' ( J. Richardson, 1845) (Australian swamp eel) * ''

Ophisternon infernale The blind swamp eel (''Ophisternon infernale'') is a species of fish in the family Synbranchidae. It is endemic to Mexico where it lives in cave systems and is known in Spanish as the '. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rat ...

'' ( C. L. Hubbs, 1938) (Blind swamp eel)

References

Synbranchidae Ray-finned fish genera Taxa named by John McClelland (doctor) Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Synbranchiformes-stub