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Ichthyophiidae

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Asiatic tailed caecilians
Ichthyophis sp. from the Western Ghats
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Amphibia
Order:
Gymnophiona
Family:
Ichthyophiidae

Taylor, 1968
Genera

Caudacaecilia
Ichthyophis
Uraeotyphlus

The vent is an important taxonomic feature for Ichthyophis identification

Ichthyophiidae is the family of Asiatic tailed caecilians or fish caecilians. They are found in south-east Asia.

They are primitive caecilians, lacking many of the derived characters found in the other families. For example, the mouth is not recessed underneath the head, they possess tails, and have numerous scales on their body. However, they have two sets of muscles for closing the jaw, a feature unique to caecilians, but absent in the related family Rhinatrematidae.[1]

They lay their eggs in cavities in moist soil, where they hatch into larvae that seek out streams or underground seepages, before metamorphosing into adults. There is some evidence that the female may protect the eggs until they hatch.[1]

Taxonomy

Family Ichthyophiidae

References

  1. ^ a b Nussbaum, Ronald A. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 55. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
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