Surf eel

Surf eel
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Ophichthidae
Genus:	Ichthyapus
Species:	I. ophioneus
Binomial name
	Ichthyapus ophioneus; (Evermann & Marsh, 1900)
Synonyms
	Sphagebranchus ophioneus Evermann & Marsh, 1900; Caecula ophioneus (Evermann & Marsh, 1900); Rhinenchelys ophioneus (Evermann & Marsh, 1900); Sphagebranchus conklini Eigenmann, 1916;

The Surf eel (Ichthyapus ophioneus, also known as the Finless snake eel in the United States^[2]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).^[3] It was described by Barton Warren Evermann and Millard Caleb Marsh in 1900, originally under the genus Sphagebranchus.^[4] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, USA; Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, northern South America, and St. Helena Island. It dwells at a maximum depth of 35 metres (115 ft), most often between 5 and 15 metres (16 and 49 ft), and forms burrows in sand bottoms in surf areas, from which its common name is derived. Males can reach a maximum total length of 45 centimetres (18 in).^[3]

References

^ Synonyms of Ichthyapus ophioneus at www.fishbase.org.
^ Common names of 'Ichthyapus ophioneus at www.fishbase.org.
^ ^a ^b Ichthyapus ophioneus at www.fishbase.org.
^ Evermann, B. W. and M. C. Marsh, 1900 (29 Dec.) [ref. 14876] The fishes of Porto Rico. Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission v. 20 (pt 1) [for 1900]: 49-350, Pls. 1-49.

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