''Monopterus'' 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 the ...

s native to Asia. They live in various freshwater habitats and some have a fossorial lifestyle.Britz, R., Doherty-Bone, T.M., Kouete, M.T., Sykes, D. & Gower, D.J. (2016)
''Monopterus luticolus'', a new species of swamp eel from Cameroon (Teleostei: Synbranchidae).
''Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 27 (4): 309-323.''

Species

Four recognized species are placed in this genus: * '' M. albus'' ( Zuiew, 1793) (Asian swamp eel) * ''M. bicolor'' H. D. Nguyễn & V. H. Nguyễn, 2005 * ''M. dienbienensis'' V. H. Nguyễn & H. D. Nguyễn, 2005 * ''M. javanensis'' Lacépède, 1800 Six species from

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

(''M. cuchia'', '' M. desilvai'', ''M. hodgarti'', ''M. fossorius'', ''M. ichthyophoides'', and '' M. indicus'') have been reclassified to the genus ''

Ophichthys ''Ophichthys'' is a genus of swamp eels native to South Asia. They live in freshwater or subterranean habitats, and some have a fossorial lifestyle. Taxonomy All species in this genus were formerly classified in '' Monopterus'', but a 2020 ...

''. Four fossorial or subterranean species (''M. digressus'', '' M. eapeni'', '' M. rongsaw'', and ''M. roseni'') from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

have been reclassified to the genus ''

Rakthamichthys ''Rakthamichthys'' is a genus of swamp eels that are endemic to India. Three species are known from the Western Ghats and one is known from Northeast India. All species live underground, with one species (''R. rongsaw'') having a fossorial l ...

''. Two species from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

('' M. boueti'' and ''M. luticolus'') have been reclassified to the genus '' Typhlosynbranchus''.

References

Freshwater fish genera Synbranchidae Taxa named by Bernard Germain de Lacépède Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Synbranchiformes-stub