Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 19, 2026

Smiling snake eel

The smiling snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1882, originally under the genus Apterichthys. 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. 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).

Last revised
Jul 19, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
259 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Smiling snake eel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Ophichthidae
Genus: Ichthyapus
Species:
I. selachops
Binomial name
Ichthyapus selachops
(Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
Synonyms2
  • Apterichthys selachops Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

The smiling snake eel (Ichthyapus selachops, also known as the smiling sand eel3) 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

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

References

References

  1. McCosker, J.; Béarez, P.; and Lea, B. (2010). "Ichthyapus selachops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010 e.T183498A8123667. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T183498A8123667.en. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  2. Synonyms of Ichthyapus selachops at www.fishbase.org.
  3. Common names of Ichthyapus selachops at www.fishbase.org.
  4. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ichthyapus selachops". FishBase. November 2024 version.
  5. Jordan, D. S. and C. H. Gilbert, 1882 (16 Sept.) [ref. 12308] Catalogue of the fishes collected by Mr. John Xantus at Cape San Lucas, which are now in the United States National Museum, with descriptions of eight new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum v. 5 (no. 290): 353-371.