Ophichthidae
Ophichthidae Temporal range: 56–0 Ma | |
---|---|
Dalophis imberbis | |
Myrichthys maculosus | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Superorder: | Elopomorpha |
Order: | Anguilliformes |
Family: | Ophichthidae Günther, 1870 |
Subfamilies | |
Myrophinae Kaup, 1856 |
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"). Snake eels are also burrowing eels, they are named for their physical appearance, they have long, cylindrical snakelike bodies.[2]
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.[3]
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, mimicry the appearance of venomous sea snakes to deter predators.[3] 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 325 species in 61 genera:
Family Ophichthidae
- Subfamily Myrophinae
- Ahlia Jordan & Davis, 1892
- 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 & Chen, 2012 [4]
- Schismorhynchus McCosker, 1970
- Schultzidia Gosline, 1951
- Scolecenchelys Ogilby, 1897
- Skythrenchelys Castle & McCosker, 1999
- Sympenchelys Hibino, Ho & Kimura, 2015 [5]
- Subfamily Ophichthinae
- Allips McCosker, 1972
- Aplatophis Böhlke, 1956
- Aprognathodon Böhlke, 1967
- Apterichtus Duméril, 1806
- Bascanichthys Jordan & Davis, 1891
- Brachysomophis Kaup, 1856
- Caecula Vahl, 1794
- Callechelys Kaup, 1856
- Caralophia Böhlke, 1955
- Cirrhimuraena Kaup, 1856
- Cirricaecula Schultz, 1953
- Dalophis Rafinesque, 1810
- Echelus Rafinesque, 1810
- Echiophis Kaup, 1856
- Ethadophis Rosenblatt & McCosker, 1970
- Evips McCosker, 1972
- Gordiichthys Jordan & Davis, 1891
- Hemerorhinus Weber & de Beaufort, 1916
- Herpetoichthys Kaup, 1856
- Hyphalophis Cosker & Böhlke, 1982
- Ichthyapus Brisout de Barneville, 1847
- Kertomichthys McCosker & Böhlke, 1982
- Lamnostoma Kaup, 1856
- Leiuranus Bleeker, 1853
- Leptenchelys Myers & Wade, 1941
- Letharchus Goode & 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 Jordan & Davis, 1891
- Rhinophichthus McCosker, 1999
- Scytalichthys Jordan & Davis, 1891
- Stictorhinus Böhlke & McCosker, 1975
- Suculentophichthus Fricke, Golani & Appelbaum-Golani, 2015 [6]
- Xestochilus McCosker, 1998
- Xyrias Jordan & Snyder, 1901
- Yirrkala Whitley, 1940
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ophichthidae. |
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2015). "Ophichthidae" in FishBase. October 2015 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 9780804713856.
- 1 2 McCosker, J.E. (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. (2012). "Pylorobranchus hoi, a New Genus and Species of Myrophine Worm-eel from Taiwan (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae)" (PDF). 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" (PDF). Zootaxa 4060 (1): 41–48. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4060.1.6.
- ↑ 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)" (PDF). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 16: 56–66.