 |
|
| fishes text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrate > fishes |
| Worm-eels
and Snake-eels Family Ophichthidae updated Aug 08 Where seen? These worm-like fishes are often seen near coral rubble where there are lots of hiding places, especially on our Southern shores. Larger snake eels sometimes also seen, especially at night. What are worm eels? Worm-eels and snake-eels belong to the Family Ophichthidae. According to FishBase: the family has 52 genera and 250 species. They are found in tropical to warm temperate seas. Features: 20cm-2.5m long, these fishes have a tubular body. They lack scales. Some species have pectoral fins, others don't. The head and tail are sharply pointed and they are adapted for burrowing. They swim by moving the body in S-shapes, rather like a sea snake. In fact, some day-hunting snake eels mimic sea snakes. Sometimes mistaken for worms or sea snakes. Here's more on how to tell apart sea snakes, eels and eel-like animals. What do they eat? Most species are burrowing. They hunt fishes, octopus, squids and cuttlefishes and crustaceans. Status and threats: Worm-eels and snake-eels are not listed as among the threatened animals of Singapore. However, like other creatures of the intertidal zone, they are affected by human activities such as reclamation, pollution and over-collection. |
| Family
Ophichthidae recorded for Singapore from Wee Y.C. and Peter K. L. Ng. 1994. A First Look at Biodiversity in Singapore.
|
Links
References
|
.
Periplus Editions. 292 pp.|
|