WoRMS taxon details
Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758)
126317 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:126317)
accepted
Species
Echelus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 · unaccepted
Leptorhynchus capensis Smith, 1840 · unaccepted
Muraena acutirostris Gronow, 1854 · unaccepted
Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758 · unaccepted
Oxystomus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
Sphagebranchus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758) · unaccepted
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
(of Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors 
[request]
[request]
Description Burrows in sand or mud on the continental shelf (Ref. 4455). Also found in estuaries (Ref. 9563).
Description Burrows in sand or mud on the continental shelf (Ref. 4455). Also found in estuaries (Ref. 9563). [details]
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2026). FishBase. Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=126317 on 2026-07-11
Date
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Nomenclature
original description
(of Echelus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810) Rafinesque, C. S. (1810). Caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali e piante della sicilia, con varie osservazioni sopra i medisimi. <em>Per le stampe di Sanfilippo: Palermo, Italy.</em> Part 1 involves fishes, pp. [i-iv] 3-69 [70 blank], Part 2 with slightly different title, pp. ia-iva + 71-105 [106 blank]). Pls. 1-20., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47825964
page(s): 64, Pl. 17 (fig. 4) [details]
original description (of Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
original description (of Leptorhynchus capensis Smith, 1840) Smith, A. (1838-1847). Pisces. <em>In: Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa; consisting chiefly of figures and descriptions of the objects of natural history collected during an expedition into the interior of South Africa in 1834-36.</em> v. 4: 77 unnumb. pp, accompanying Pls. 1-31. [Published in parts; see Barnard 1950 for dates of individual parts; fishes from 1838-1847.]. [details]
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, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>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,</i> 50: pp. 357-374 (look up in IMIS) [details]
page(s): 64, Pl. 17 (fig. 4) [details]
original description (of Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). <i>Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis</i>. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors
[request]original description (of Leptorhynchus capensis Smith, 1840) Smith, A. (1838-1847). Pisces. <em>In: Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa; consisting chiefly of figures and descriptions of the objects of natural history collected during an expedition into the interior of South Africa in 1834-36.</em> v. 4: 77 unnumb. pp, accompanying Pls. 1-31. [Published in parts; see Barnard 1950 for dates of individual parts; fishes from 1838-1847.]. [details]
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, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>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,</i> 50: pp. 357-374 (look up in IMIS) [details]
Ecology
ecology source
Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. <em>Scientific Data.</em> 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4 [details]
Other
context source (Deepsea)
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), available online at http://www.iobis.org/ [details]
additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals. <em>in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia.</em> pp. 431-554. [details]
additional source Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (04/2025)., available online at https://www.fishbase.org [details]
additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals. <em>in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia.</em> pp. 431-554. [details]
additional source Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (04/2025)., available online at https://www.fishbase.org [details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Description Burrows in sand or mud on the continental shelf (Ref. 4455). Also found in estuaries (Ref. 9563). [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Albanian | ngjala gjarpëroregjarpri i detit | [details] |
| English | serpent eel | [details] |
| Modern Greek (1453-) | Φιδόχειλο | [details] |
| Turkish | dikenli yilan baligi | [details] |
To Barcode of Life (21 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (113 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (15 publications) (from synonym Leptorhynchus capensis Smith, 1840)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (17 publications) (from synonym Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (2 publications) (from synonym Oxystomus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (5 publications) (from synonym Sphagebranchus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (8 publications) (from synonym Muraena acutirostris Gronow, 1854)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Ophisurus serpens)
To FishBase
To FishBase (from synonym Muraena acutirostris Gronow, 1854)
To FishBase (from synonym Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758)
To FishBase (from synonym Leptorhynchus capensis Smith, 1840)
To FishBase (from synonym Echelus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810)
To FishBase (from synonym Sphagebranchus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Oxystomus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Fishipedia
To GenBank (5 nucleotides; 7 proteins)
To GenBank (5 nucleotides; 7 proteins) (from synonym Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To PESI
To ITIS
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (113 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (15 publications) (from synonym Leptorhynchus capensis Smith, 1840)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (17 publications) (from synonym Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (2 publications) (from synonym Oxystomus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (5 publications) (from synonym Sphagebranchus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (8 publications) (from synonym Muraena acutirostris Gronow, 1854)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Ophisurus serpens)
To FishBase
To FishBase (from synonym Muraena acutirostris Gronow, 1854)
To FishBase (from synonym Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758)
To FishBase (from synonym Leptorhynchus capensis Smith, 1840)
To FishBase (from synonym Echelus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810)
To FishBase (from synonym Sphagebranchus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To FishBase (from synonym Oxystomus serpens (Linnaeus, 1758))
To Fishipedia
To GenBank (5 nucleotides; 7 proteins)
To GenBank (5 nucleotides; 7 proteins) (from synonym Muraena serpens Linnaeus, 1758)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To PESI
To ITIS
Unreviewed
