Snipe eel

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Snipe eels

Slender Snipe Eel, Nemichthys scolopaceus

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Nemichthyidae

Genera

Avocettina
Labichthys
Nemichthys
See text for species.

Snipe eels are a family, Nemichthyidae, of eels. They are pelagic fishes, found in the middle depths of most oceans. The common name comes from the resemblance of the jaw to the bill of a snipe.

[edit] Genera and species

There are nine species in three genera, including:

Genus Avocettina
- Avocettina acuticeps (Regan, 1916).
- Avocettina bowersii (Garman, 1899).
- Avocet snipe-eel, Avocettina infans (Günther, 1878).
- Avocettina paucipora Nielsen & Smith, 1978.
Genus Labichthys
- Labichthys carinatus Gill & Ryder, 1883.
- Labichthys yanoi (Mead & Rubinoff, 1966).
Genus Nemichthys
- Slender snipe eel, Nemichthys scolopaceus Richardson, 1848.
- Boxer snipe eel, Nemichthys curvirostris (Strömman, 1896).
- Nemichthys larseni Nielsen & Smith, 1978.