Smiling snake eel
Species of fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The smiling snake eel (Ichthyapus selachops, also known as the smiling sand eel[3]) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels).[4] It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1882, originally under the genus Apterichthys.[5] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Mexico.[1] It dwells at a maximum depth of 30 metres (98 ft), and inhabits sediments of sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 41 centimetres (16 in).[4]
| Smiling snake eel | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Ophichthidae |
| Genus: | Ichthyapus |
| Species: | I. selachops |
| Binomial name | |
| Ichthyapus selachops | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Due to its wide distribution, lack of known threats, and lack of observed population decline, the IUCN redlist currently lists the Smiling snake-eel as Least Concern.[1]
