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Ophichthidae

{{Short description|Family of fishes}}

{{Automatic_taxobox

| fossil_range = {{fossil range|56|0}}
Early Eocene to Present{{FishBase_family | family = Ophichthidae | year = 2016 | month = June }}

| image = Aprognathodon platyventris - pone.0010676.g015.png

| image_caption = Aprognathodon platyventris

| image2 = Myrichthys ocellatus - pone.0010676.g017.png

| image2_caption = Myrichthys ocellatus

| taxon = Ophichthidae

| authority = Günther, 1870

| subdivision_ranks = Subfamilies

| subdivision =

}}

Ophichthidae is a family of fish in the order Anguilliformes, commonly known as the 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, as they have long, cylindrical, snake-like bodies.{{cite book | author = Goodson, G. | year = 1988 | title = Fishes of the Pacific Coast: Alaska to Peru, Including the Gulf of California and the Galapagos Islands | publisher = Stanford University Press | isbn = 978-0804713856 | page = 238 }} This family is found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate waters. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from coastal shallows and even rivers, to depths below {{convert|800|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Most species are bottom dwellers, hiding in mud or sand to capture their prey of crustaceans and small fish, but some are pelagic.{{cite book |editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N. |author=McCosker, J.E. | year = 1998 | title = Encyclopedia of Fishes, Second Edition |publisher= Academic Press | pages = 87–89 | isbn = 978-0125476652 }}

These species range in total length from {{convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} to {{convert|2.3|m|ft|abbr=on}} or more. Many species lack fins altogether, improving their ability to burrow into the substrate like worms. They are often spotted or striped in colour, mimicking the appearance of venomous sea snakes to deter predators. Often, they are washed ashore by large storms.

Genera

Currently, 62 recognized genera are placed in this family:

References

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Category:Anguilliformes families

Category:Marine fish families

Category:Extant Eocene first appearances

Category:Taxa named by Albert Günther