Ophichthidae
many-eyed snake-eel
Ophichthus polyophthalmus
FISH SPECIES
Long-bodied Fish
Explore fish with elongated, anguilliform or ribbon-like silhouettes, and learn how length changes locomotion and foraging.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDELong Bodied FishIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
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01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
Elongated body plans reduce hydrodynamic drag, allow passage through tight apertures, and feature reduced or absent pelvic fins combined with extensive multi-vertebral muscular flexing systems.
- 01Anguilliform wave propulsion
- 02Crevice & conduit navigation
- 03Reduced appendages & low drag
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
True eels swim via full-body anguilliform waves, sending lateral bends down their entire length to push against water, allowing them to reverse direction inside narrow subterranean burrows. Needlefish and pikes maintain a rigid elongated torso, keeping the body straight until their posterior fins and muscular caudal peduncle unleash sudden, explosive forward lunges.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Full-body anguilliform undulation
- Reverse movement inside burrows
- Rigid body ambush alignment
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
many-eyed snake-eel
Apogonidae
Many-lined cardinalfish
Ostorhinchus multilineatus
Tetraodontidae
Many-lined pufferfish
Arothron multilineatus
Syngnathidae
Many-spotted pipefish
Corythoichthys polynotatus
Myxinidae
Many-toothed Hagfish
Eptatretus multidens
Muraenidae
Many-toothed snake moray
Uropterygius supraforatus
Ophichthidae
Many-vertebrae snake eel
Echelus polyspondylus
Muraenidae
Manyband moray
Gymnothorax mccoskeri
Epinephelidae
Manyline perch
Liopropoma multilineatum
Anabantidae
Manyspined ctenopoma
Ctenopoma multispine
Congridae
manytooth conger
Conger triporiceps
Congridae
Maputo conger
Bathymyrus smithi
Percidae
Marbled Darter
Etheostoma marmorpinnum
Chimaeridae
Marbled Ghostshark
Hydrolagus marmoratus
Protopteridae
Marbled lungfish
Protopterus aethiopicus
Muraenidae
marbled moray
Uropterygius macularius
Muraenolepididae
Marbled moray cod
Muraenolepis marmorata
Amphiliidae
Marbled mountain catfish
Amphilius jacksonii
Muraenidae
Marbled reef-eel
Uropterygius marmoratus
Liparidae
marbled snailfish
Liparis dennyi
Ophichthidae
marbled snake eel
Callechelys marmorata
Uranoscopidae
Marbled stargazer
Uranoscopus bicinctus
Loricariidae
Marbled Whiptail Catfish
Loricaria luciae
Aplodactylidae
Marblefish
Aplodactylus arctidens
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
Why do eels and morays lack pelvic fins?
Pelvic fins create hydrodynamic drag and easily catch on obstructions when navigating tight crevices, burrows and rock cracks. Over evolutionary time, appendages were reduced or lost in favor of continuous median fins.
How do elongated fish like gar and needlefish hunt?
Rather than undulate their whole bodies, they hold their long torsos completely straight to resemble floating sticks or debris, then unleash rapid lateral head snaps or tail bursts to impale unsuspecting prey on their toothed jaws.