Ophichthidae

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Ophichthidae
Temporal range: 56–0 Ma
Early Eocene to Present [1]
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Dalophis imberbis
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Myrichthys maculosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Superorder:
Elopomorpha
Order:
Anguilliformes
Family:
Ophichthidae

Günther, 1870
Subfamilies

Myrophinae Kaup, 1856
Ophichthinae Günther, 1870

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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

References

  1. ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2015). "Ophichthidae" in FishBase. October 2015 version.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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