Ophichthidae
Tiger snake eel, Myrichthys maculosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Superorder: Elopomorpha Order: Anguilliformes Family: Ophichthidae
Subfamilies and genera
See text.

Ophichthidae is a family of eels, comprising species commonly called worm eels and snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek ophis ("serpent") and ichthys ("fish").

Distribution and habitat

They range from tropical to warm temperate waters. They are coastal, but some species will also enter rivers.

Systematics and taxonomy

Subfamily Myrophinae

• Ahlia
• Muraenichthys
• Myrophis
• Pseudomyrophis
• Schismorhynchus
• Schultzidia
• Scolecenchelys
  • Scolecenchelys breviceps – Long-finned worm eel, short-headed worm-eel
• Scythrenchelys

Subfamily Ophichthinae

• Aplatophis
• Apterichtus
• Bascanichthys
• Brachysomophis
• Callechelys
• Caralophia
• Cirrhimuraena
• Cirricaecula
• Dalophis
• Echelus
• Echiophis
• Elapsopis
• Ethadophis
• Gordiichthys
• Herpetoichthys
• Ichthyapus
• Lamnostoma
• Leiuranus
• Leptenchelys
• Letharchus
• Leuropharus
• Myrichthys

Sharp-tailed snake eel, Myrichthys breviceps, Saba, Dutch Antilles

• Mystriophis
• Ophichthus
• Ophisurus
  • Ophisurus serpens, Serpent eel
• Paraletharchus
• Phaenomonas
• Phyllophichthus
• Pisodonophis
• Quassiremus
• Scytalichthys
• Yirrkala

References

• "Ophichthidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.

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