''Ophisternon'' is a genus of

swamp eel The swamp eels (also written "swamp-eels") are a family (biology), family (Synbranchidae) of freshwater eel-like fishes of the tropics and subtropics. Most species are able to breathe air and typically live in marshes, ponds and damp places, som ...

s found in fresh and

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

waters in

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

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, Australia, Middle America and

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. Two species are blind cave-dwellers.Romero, A., editor (2001). ''The Biology of Hypogean Fishes.'' Developments in Environmental Biology of Fishes.

Species

There are currently seven recognized species in this genus: * '' Ophisternon aenigmaticum'' D. E. Rosen & Greenwood, 1976 (Obscure swamp eel) * '' Ophisternon afrum'' ( Boulenger, 1909) (Guinea swamp eel) * '' Ophisternon bengalense'' McClelland, 1844 (Bengal eel) * '' Ophisternon candidum'' ( Mees, 1962) (Blind cave eel) * '' Ophisternon gutturale'' ( J. Richardson, 1845) (Australian swamp eel) * '' Ophisternon infernale'' ( C. L. Hubbs, 1938) (Blind swamp eel) * '' Ophisternon berlini'' (J. Arroyave, 2024) (Berlin's bloodworm eel)

References

Synbranchidae Ray-finned fish genera Taxa named by John McClelland (doctor) Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Synbranchiformes-stub