Ophichthidae

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

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 habitats

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

Taxonomy

• Subfamily Myrophinae
  • Ahlia
  • Muraenichthys
    • Long-finned Worm Eel Ophisurus serpens
  • Myrophis
  • Pseudomyrophis
  • Schismorhynchus
  • Schultzidia
  • Scolecenchelys
    • Short-headed Worm Eel, (Scolecenchelys breviceps
  • 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
  • Mystriophis
  • Ophichthus
  • Ophisurus
    • Serpent Eel Ophisurus serpens
  • Paraletharchus
  • Phaenomonas
  • Phyllophichthus
  • Pisodonophis
  • Quassiremus
  • Scytalichthys
  • Yirrkala

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Ophichthidae" in FishBase. January 2006 version.