Ophichthidae
Ophichthidae Temporal range: Early Eocene–Recent [1] | |
---|---|
Tiger snake eel, Myrichthys maculosus | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Superorder: | Elopomorpha |
Order: | Anguilliformes |
Family: | Ophichthidae |
Subfamilies | |
Myrophinae | |
The Ophichthidae are a family of eels, commonly called worm eels and snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek ophis ("serpent") and ichthys ("fish").
Ophichthids are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate waters. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from coastal shallows, and even rivers, to depths of above 750 m (2,460 ft). Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are pelagic.[2]
Ophichthid species range from 10 cm (3.9 in) to 3 m (9.8 ft) in length. 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.[2] Often, they are washed ashore by large storms.
Genera
The family Ophichthidae is the largest and most diverse of the families of eels, containing around 300 species in over 50 genera:
Family Ophichthidae
- Subfamily Myrophinae
- Ahlia (one species)
- Asarcenchelys (one species)
- Benthenchelys (three species)
- Glenoglossa (one species)
- Leptocephalus (one species assigned to this family (see genus article))
- Mixomyrophis (one species)
- Muraenichthys (seven species)
- Myrophis (eight species)
- Neenchelys (four species)
- Pseudomyrophis (five species)
- Pylorobranchus[3]
- Schismorhynchus (one species)
- Schultzidia (two species)
- Scolecenchelys (20 species)
- Skythrenchelys (two species)
- Subfamily Ophichthinae
- Allips (one species)
- Aplatophis (two species)
- Aprognathodon (one species)
- Apterichtus (14 species)
- Bascanichthys (17 species)
- Brachysomophis (seven species)
- Caecula (three species)
- Callechelys (15 species)
- Caralophia (one species)
- Cirrhimuraena (10 species)
- Cirricaecula (two species)
- Dalophis (five species)
- Echelus (three species)
- Echiophis (four species)
- Ethadophis (five species)
- Evips (one species)
- Gordiichthys (five species)
- Hemerorhinus (two species)
- Herpetoichthys (one species)
- Hyphalophis (one species)
- Ichthyapus (seven species)
- Kertomichthys (one species)
- Lamnostoma (five species)
- Leiuranus (two species)
- Leptenchelys (one species)
- Letharchus (three species)
- Lethogoleos (one species)
- Leuropharus (one species)
- Luthulenchelys (one species)
- Malvoliophis (one species)
- Myrichthys (11 species)
- Mystriophis (two species)
- Ophichthus (80 species)
- Ophisurus (two species)
- Paraletharchus (two species)
- Phaenomonas (three species)
- Phyllophichthus (two species)
- Pisodonophis (9 species)
- Quassiremus (four species)
- Rhinophichthus (one species)
- Scytalichthys (one species)
- Stictorhinus (one species)
- Xestochilus (one species)
- Xyrias (four species)
- Yirrkala (13 species)
References
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2009). "Ophichthidae" in FishBase. January 2009 version.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 McCosker, John F. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 87–89. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ↑ McCosker, J.E., Loh, K.H., Lin, J. & Chen, H.M. (in press): Pylorobranchus hoi, a New Genus and Species of Myrophine Worm-eel from Taiwan (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Zoological Studies, (in press)
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Ophichthidae" in FishBase. January 2006 version.