WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species

Ophichthidae
AphiaID: 125434

Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Actinopterygii (Class) > Anguilliformes (Order)

Status

accepted

Record
status

Checked by Taxonomic Editor

Rank

Family

Parent

Anguilliformes

Sources

basis of record: van der Land, J.; Costello, M.J.; Zavodnik, D.; Santos, R.S.; Porteiro, F.M.; Bailly, N.; Eschmeyer, W.N.; Froese, R. (2001). Pisces, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 357-374 (look up in IMIS) [details]

additional source: Eschmeyer, W.: Catalog of fishes; California Academy of Sciences, department Ichtyology., available online at http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/Ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp [details]

Vernacular
Names

Language	Name
English	snake eels	[details]

Direct child
taxa
[show all]

Subfamily Myrophinae

» Genus Ahlia Jordan & Davis, 1891
» Genus Asarcenchelys
» Genus Benthenchelys
» Genus Glenoglossa
» Genus Leptocephalus
» Genus Mixomyrophis
» Genus Muraenichthys Bleeker, 1853
» Genus Myrophis Lütken, 1852
» Genus Neenchelys
» Genus Pseudomyrophis
» Genus Schismorhynchus McCosker, 1970
» Genus Schultzidia
» Genus Scolecenchelys
» Genus Skythrenchelys
» Genus Aotea accepted as Scolecenchelys
» Genus Hesperomyrus accepted as Myrophis Lütken, 1852
» Genus Holopterura accepted as Myrophis Lütken, 1852
» Genus Leptoconger accepted as Myrophis Lütken, 1852
» Genus Muaenichthys accepted as Muraenichthys Bleeker, 1853
» Genus Myroplius accepted as Myrophis Lütken, 1852
» Genus Myropterura accepted as Scolecenchelys
» Genus Paramyrus accepted as Ophichthus Thunberg, 1789
» Genus Schizmorhynchus accepted as Schismorhynchus McCosker, 1970

Subfamily Ophichthinae

Genus Apterichtys accepted as Apterichtus Duméril, 1806
Genus Jenkinsiella Jordan & Evermann, 1905 accepted as Cirrhimuraena Kaup, 1856
Genus Ophichthys Swainson, 1839 accepted as Monopterus Lacepède, 1800

Environment

marine, brackish, fresh, ~~terrestrial~~

Links

To GenBank
To ITIS

Note

Description: Marine; coastal, estuaries and entering rivers. Distribution: tropical to warm temperate waters. Body serpentiform. Snout subconic to pointed. Mouth subterminal to inferior. Nostrils well separated, posterior usually lying within or piercing the upper lip, opening into mouth. Tongue attached. Branchial opening small, slit or round. Branchiostegal rays 15-49 pairs, overlapping midventrally along the throat to form a jugostegalia. Neural spines poorly developed, when present. Hyomandibulae usually vertical, but may be inclined backward or forward. Lateral lines meeting dorsally at head level. Dorsal and anal, when present, confluent with or ending before caudal extremity (naked and hardened). Supraorbital pore on middle line. With or without pectoral fins. Pelvics absent. Vertebrae 110-270. [details]

LSID

urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:125434

Taxonomic
Edit history

Date	action	by
2004-12-21 15:54:05Z	created	van der Land, Jacob

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Citation: WoRMS (2013). Ophichthidae. In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2013) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=125434 on 2013-05-25

The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

WoRMS taxon details