Myrophinae, the worm eels, is a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

of ray-finned fishes belonging to the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Ophichthidae Ophichthidae is a family (biology), family of fish in the order (biology), order Anguilliformes, commonly known as the snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek language, Greek ''ophis'' ("serpent") and ''ichthys'' ("fish"). Snake eels ...

, which also includes the snake eels in the subfamily

Ophichthinae Ophichthidae is a family (biology), family of fish in the order (biology), order Anguilliformes, commonly known as the snake eels. The term "Ophichthidae" comes from Greek language, Greek ''ophis'' ("serpent") and ''ichthys'' ("fish"). Snake eels ...

Taxonomy

Myrophinae was first proposed as a subfamily by the German

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

Johann Jakob Kaup Johann Jakob von Kaup (10 April 1803 – 4 July 1873) was a German naturalist. A proponent of natural philosophy, he believed in an innate mathematical order in nature and he attempted biological classifications based on the Quinarian system. Kaup ...

in 1856. It is one of two subfamilies, alongside the subfamily

in the family

, which is classified within the suborder Congroidei within the eel

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Anguilliformes Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order (biology), order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 Family (biology), families, 164 genus, genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the earl ...

Genera

The Myrophinae contains the following genera: * '' Ahlia'' D. S. Jordan & Davis, 1891 * '' Asarcenchelys'' McCosker, 1985 * '' Benthenchelys'' Fowler, 1934 * '' Glenoglossa'' McCosker, 1982 * '' Mixomyrophis'' McCosker, 1985 * '' Muraenichthys'' Bleeker, 1853 * '' Myrophis'' Lütken, 1852 * ''

Neenchelys ''Neenchelys'' is a genus of snake eels native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in ...

'' Bamber, 1915 * '' Pseudomyrophis'' Wade, 1946 * '' Pylorobranchus'' McCosker & H.-M. Chen, 2012 McCosker, J.E., Loh, K.-H., Lin, J. & Chen, H.-M. (2012)
''Pylorobranchus hoi'', a New Genus and Species of Myrophine Worm-Eel from Taiwan (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae).
''Zoological Studies, 51 (7): 1188-1194.'' * '' Schismorhynchus'' McCosker, 1970 * '' Schultzidia'' Gosline, 1951 * '' Scolecenchelys'' Ogilby, 1897 * '' Skythrenchelys''

Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

& McCosker, 1999 * '' Sympenchelys'' Hibino, H. C. Ho & Kimura, 2015 Hibino, Y., Ho, H.-C. & Kimura, S. (2015)
A new genus and species of worm eels, ''Sympenchelys taiwanensis'' (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae: Myrophinae), from the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
''Zootaxa, 4060 (1): 41–48.''

Characteristics

Myrophinae, the worm eels, are characterised by having construicted gill openings which are located in the mid flank benhind the head. They have obvious

caudal fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the back bone and are supported only ...

raysand these are joined to the anal and

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

s. The tip of the tail is flexible, a

pectoral fin Fins are moving appendages protruding from the body of fish that interact with water to generate thrust and help the fish aquatic locomotion, swim. Apart from the tail or caudal fin, fish fins have no direct connection with the vertebral column ...

s may be present or they may be absent. The colouration is uniform, although they are often darker on the back.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2383358 Ophichthidae Fish subfamilies Taxa named by Johann Jakob Kaup