Biology:Ophichthys

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Short description: Genus of fishes

Ophichthys
Monopterus cuchia Day.jpg
Ophichthys cuchia
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Synbranchiformes
Family: Synbranchidae
Subfamily: Synbranchinae
Genus: Ophichthys
Swainson, 1839
Species

See text

Ophichthys is a genus of swamp eels native to South Asia. They live in freshwater or subterranean habitats, and some have a fossorial lifestyle.[1]

Taxonomy

All species in this genus were formerly classified in Monopterus, but a 2020 study found them to represent a distinct monophyletic clade from Monopterus. Due to this, the genus name Ophichthys, previously coined by William John Swainson, was revived to be used for them.[1][2] Ophichthys was formerly a wastebasket taxon used to lump in many unrelated species of eel-like fish (all of which are classified in separate genera today) and later synonymized with Monopterus until its resurrection.[3]

Species

  • Ophichthys cuchia (F. Hamilton, 1822) (Gangetic swamp eel or Gangetic mud-eel)[4]
  • Ophichthys desilvai (R. M. Bailey & Gans, 1998) (lesser swamp eel or Desilvai's blind eel)[1]
  • Ophichthys fossorius (K. K. Nayar, 1951) (Malabar swampeel)
  • Ophichthys hodgarti (B. L. Chaudhuri, 1913) (Indian spaghetti-eel)[5]
  • Ophichthys ichthyophoides (Britz, Lalremsanga, Lalrotluanga & Lalramliana, 2011) (scaled swamp eel)[6]
  • Ophichthys indicus (Silas & E. Dawson, 1961) (Bombay swamp eel)

References

Wikidata ☰ Q28753738 entry