''Neenchelys'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
snake eels native to the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
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 the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. All species of Neenchelys have two rather than three preopercular pores (except for N. parvipectoralis which usually has one), a significant character among many species of ophichthids (McCosker 1977).
Species
There are currently 12 recognized species in this genus:
* ''
Neenchelys andamanensis''
Hibino, Satapoomin & Kimura, 2015 (Andaman worm eel)
* ''
Neenchelys buitendijki''
M. C. W. Weber & de Beaufort, 1916 (Fin-tail worm eel)
* ''
Neenchelys cheni''
( J. S. T. F. Chen & H. T. C. Weng, 1967) (Chen's worm eel)
[
* '' Neenchelys daedalus'' J. E. McCosker, 1982 (New Guinea worm eel)
* '' Neenchelys diaphora'' H. C. Ho, J. E. McCosker & D. G. Smith, 2015 (Long-fin worm eel)][Hibino, Y., Ho, H.-C. & Kimura, S. (2012): A new worm eel ''Neenchelys mccoskeri'' (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) from Taiwan and Japan. ''Ichthyological Research, 59 (4): 342-346.'']
* '' Neenchelys microtretus'' Bamber, 1915 (Small-fin worm eel)
* '' Neenchelys nudiceps'' Tashiro, Hibino & Imamura, 2015 (Indonesian deep-sea worm eel)[Tashiro, F., Hibino, Y. & Imamura, H. (2015): Description of a new species of the genus ''Neenchelys'' (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae, Myrophinae) from the eastern Indian Ocean, with comments on the availability of three congeners. ''Ichthyological Research, 63 (1): 53-58.'']
* ''Neenchelys parvipectoralis
''Neenchelys'' is a genus of snake eels native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. All species of Neenchelys have two rather than three preopercular pores (except for N. parvipectoralis which usually has one), a significant charac ...
'' Y. T. Chu, H. L. Wu & X. B. Jin, 1981 (Mini-fin worm eel) [
* '']Neenchelys pelagica
''Neenchelys'' is a genus of snake eels native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. All species of Neenchelys have two rather than three preopercular pores (except for N. parvipectoralis which usually has one), a significant charact ...
'' H. C. Ho, J. E. McCosker & D. G. Smith, 2015 (Pelagic worm eel)[
* '' Neenchelys similis'' H. C. Ho, J. E. McCosker & D. G. Smith, 2015 (Slender worm eel).][
]
References
Myrophinae
{{Ophichthidae-stub