Ophidiidae

Cusk-eels
Pudgy Cusk-eel (Spectrunculus grandis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Neopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleostei
Superorder:	Paracanthopterygii
Order:	Ophidiiformes
Family:	Ophidiidae
Subfamilies
Brotulinae Brotulotaeniinae Neobythitinae Ophidiinae

The cusk-eels family (Ophidiidae) are a group of marine bony fishes in the order Ophidiiformes. The scientific name is from Greek ophis meaning "snake", and refers to their eel-like appearance. However, they can be distinguished from true eels of the order Anguilliformes by the ventral fins, which are developed into a forked barbel-like organ below the mouth in the cusk-eels; in the true eels by contrast they are never well-developed and usually missing entirely.^[1]

They are found in temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world. They live close to the sea bottom, at below 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) depth. One species, Abyssobrotula galatheae, was recorded at the bottom of the Puerto Rico trench, making it the deepest recorded fish at 8,370 metres (27,460 ft).^[2]

The largest species, Lamprogrammus shcherbachevi, grows up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length, but most species are shorter than a metre. Unlike their close relatives, the viviparous brotulas of the Bythitidae, they are egg-laying, and the larvae live amongst the plankton, relatively close to the surface.^[2]

A few species are fished commercially, most notably the Pink Cusk-eel, Genypterus blacodes.

Genera

The cusk-eel family contains about 240 species, grouped into 50 genera:^[3]

Brotula multibarbata (Brotulinae)

Subfamily Brotulinae

• Genus Brotula – typical brotulas (5 species)

Subfamily Brotulotaenilinae

• Genus Brotulotaenia (4 species)

Bassozetus normalis (Neobythitinae)

Lamprogrammus niger (Neobythitinae)

Monomitopus agassizii (Neobythitinae)

Porogadus miles (Neobythitinae)

Tauredophidium hextii (Neobythitinae)

Subfamily Neobythitinae

• Genus Abyssobrotula (1 species)
• Genus Acanthonus Günther, 1878 – Bony-eared Assfish (1 species)
• Genus Alcockia (1 species)
• Genus Apagesoma (3 species)
• Genus Barathrites Zugmayer, 1911 (2 species)
• Genus Barathrodemus Goode & Bean, 1883 (2 species)
• Genus Bassogigas Goode & Bean, 1896 (2 species)
• Genus Bassozetus Gill, 1883 – Typical assfishes (13 species)
• Genus Bathyonus (3 species)
• Genus Benthocometes (1 species)
• Genus Dannevigia – Australian Tusk (1 species)
• Genus Dicrolene Goode & Bean, 1883 (15 species)
• Genus Enchelybrotula (2 species)
• Genus Epetriodus – Needletooth Cusk (1 species)
• Genus Eretmichthys Garman, 1899 (1 species)
• Genus Glyptophidium (7 species)
• Genus Holcomycteronus Garman, 1899 (6 species)
• Genus Homostolus – Filament Cusk (1 species)
• Genus Hoplobrotula (3 species)
• Genus Hypopleuron – Whiptail Cusk (1 species)
• Genus Lamprogrammus Alcock, 1891 (5 species)
• Genus Leptobrotula (1 species)
• Genus Leucicorus (2 species)
• Genus Luciobrotula Smith & Radcliffe, 1913 (4 species)
• Genus Mastigopterus (1 species)
• Genus Monomitopus Alcock, 1890 (14 species)
• Genus Neobythites Goode & Bean, 1885 (50 species)
• Genus Neobythitoides (1 species)
• Genus Penopus Goode & Bean, 1896 (1 species)
• Genus Petrotyx (2 species)
• Genus Porogadus Goode & Bean, 1885 (13 species)
• Genus Pycnocraspedum (5 species)
• Genus Selachophidium – Gunther's Cusk-eel (1 species)
• Genus Sirembo (3 species)
• Genus Spectrunculus – (2 species)^[4]
• Genus Spottobrotula (2 species)
• Genus Tauredophidium (1 species)
• Genus Typhlonus (1 species)
• Genus Ventichthys – East-Pacific Ventbrotula (1 species)
• Genus Xyelacyba Cohen, 1961 – Gargoyle Cusk (1 species)

Otophidium omostigma (Ophidiinae)

Subfamily Ophidiinae

• Genus Cherublemma – Black Brotula (1 species)
• Genus Chilara – Spotted Cusk-eel (1 species)
• Genus Lepophidium Gill, 1895 (13 species)
• Genus Genypterus (6 species)
• Genus Ophidion (27 species)
• Genus Otophidium (4 species)
• Genus Parophidion (2 species)
• Genus Raneya – Banded Cusk-eel (1 species)

References

1. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Ophidiidae" in FishBase. February 2006 version.
2. ^ ^{a b} Neilsen, Jørgen G. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 134. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
3. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2008). "Ophidiidae" in FishBase. December 2008 version.
4. ^ Uiblein, F., et al. (2008). Systematics of the Ophidiid genus Spectrunculus (Teleostei: Ophidiiformes) with resurrection of S. crassus. Copeia 3:542-51.