Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Elopocephalai
Supercohors: Elopocephala
Cohors/Superordo: Elopomorpha
Ordo: Anguilliformes
Subordo: Congroidei
Familia: Ophichthidae
Subfamiliae (2): Myrophinae - Ophichthinae
Name
Ophichthidae Günther, 1870
References
Links
Ophichthidae and its species in FishBase,
Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (eds.) 2024. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication, www.fishbase.org, version 02/2024.
Genera of Ophichthidae (including synonyms) in Catalog of Fishes, Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. & van der Laan, R. (eds.) 2024. Catalog of Fishes electronic version.
Vernacular names
English: Snake eels
español: Anguilas serpiente
magyar: Siklóangolna-félék
polski: żmijakowate, wężorybowate
Tagalog: Igat
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.[2] 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).[3] Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are pelagic.[4]
These species range in total length from 5 cm (2.0 in) to 2.3 m (7.5 ft) 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 snakes to deter predators.[4] Often, they are washed ashore by large storms.
Genera
Currently, 62 recognized genera are placed in this family:
Subfamily Myrophinae Kaup, 1856
Ahlia D. S. Jordan & Davis, 1891
Asarcenchelys McCosker, 1985
Benthenchelys Fowler, 1934
Glenoglossa McCosker, 1982
Mixomyrophis McCosker, 1985
Muraenichthys Bleeker, 1853
Myrophis Lütken, 1852
Neenchelys Bamber, 1915
Pseudomyrophis Wade, 1946
Pylorobranchus McCosker & H.-M. Chen, 2012 [5]
Schismorhynchus McCosker, 1970
Schultzidia Gosline, 1951
Scolecenchelys Ogilby, 1897
Skythrenchelys Castle & McCosker, 1999
Sympenchelys Hibino, H. C. Ho & Kimura, 2015 [6]
Subfamily Ophichthinae Günther, 1870
Allips McCosker, 1972
Aplatophis Böhlke, 1956
Aprognathodon Böhlke, 1967
Apterichtus A. M. C. Duméril, 1805
Bascanichthys D. S. Jordan & Davis, 1891
Brachysomophis Kaup, 1856
Caecula Vahl, 1794
Callechelys Kaup, 1856
Caralophia Böhlke, 1955
Chauligenion McCosker & Okamoto, 2016 [7]
Cirrhimuraena Kaup, 1856
Cirricaecula Schultz, 1953
Dalophis Rafinesque, 1810
Echelus Rafinesque, 1810
Echiophis Kaup, 1856
Ethadophis Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
Evips McCosker, 1972
Gordiichthys D. S. 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 & T. H. Bean, 1882
Lethogoleos McCosker & Böhlke, 1982
Leuropharus Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
Luthulenchelys McCosker, 2007
Malvoliophis Whitley, 1934
Myrichthys Girard, 1859
Mystriophis Kaup, 1856
Ophichthus Ahl, 1789
Ophisurus Lacépède, 1800
Paraletharchus McCosker, 1974
Phaenomonas Myers & Wade, 1941
Phyllophichthus Gosline, 1951
Pisodonophis Kaup, 1856
Quassiremus D. S. Jordan & Davis, 1891
Rhinophichthus McCosker, 1999
Scytalichthys Jordan & Davis, 1891
Stictorhinus Böhlke & McCosker, 1975
Suculentophichthus R. Fricke, Golani & Appelbaum-Golani, 2015 [3]
Xestochilus McCosker, 1998
Xyrias Jordan & Snyder, 1901
Yirrkala Whitley, 1940
References
Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Ophichthidae". FishBase. June 2016 version.
Goodson, G. (1988). Fishes of the Pacific Coast: Alaska to Peru, Including the Gulf of California and the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press. p. 238. ISBN 978-0804713856.
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.
McCosker, J.E. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes, Second Edition. Academic Press. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-0125476652.
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.
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.
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.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
