Ophichthus polyophthalmus, Many-eyed snake-eel

Ophichthus polyophthalmus Bleeker, 1864

Many-eyed snake-eel
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Ophichthus polyophthalmus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Ophichthus polyophthalmus (Many-eyed snake-eel)
Ophichthus polyophthalmus
Picture by Greenfield, J.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Ophichthidae (Snake eels) > Ophichthinae
Etymology: Ophichthus: Greek, ophis = serpent + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Bleeker.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 25 m (Ref. 90102). Tropical

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Marquesas Islands.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 75.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 137577)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 141 - 148. Pale red salmon in color, yellow spots on head, yellowish ocelli with dark margins on body (Ref. 3972). Gill opening ventral (Ref. 37816).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like; Cross section: circular.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits sand near coral reefs (Ref. 37816, 48635). Also found in rubble bottoms in 2-25 m (Ref 90102).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : McCosker, John E. | Collaborators

McCosker, J.E. and P.H.J. Castle, 1986. Ophichthidae. p. 176-186. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 3972)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 03 December 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |