Ophichthys

Ophichthys is a genus of swamp eels native to South Asia. They live in freshwater or subterranean habitats, and some have a fossorial lifestyle.

Taxonomy
All species in this genus were formerly classified in Monopterus, but a 2020 study found them to represent a distinct monophyletic clade from Monopterus. Due to this, the genus name Ophichthys, previously coined by William John Swainson, was revived to be used for them. Ophichthys was formerly a wastebasket taxon used to lump in many unrelated species of eel-like fish (all of which are classified in separate genera today) and later synonymized with Monopterus until its resurrection.

Species

 * Ophichthys cuchia (F. Hamilton, 1822) (Gangetic swamp eel or Gangetic mud-eel)
 * Ophichthys desilvai ( R. M. Bailey & Gans, 1998) (lesser swamp eel or Desilvai's blind eel)
 * Ophichthys fossorius (K. K. Nayar, 1951) (Malabar swampeel)
 * Ophichthys hodgarti (B. L. Chaudhuri, 1913) (Indian spaghetti-eel)
 * Ophichthys ichthyophoides ( Britz, Lalremsanga, Lalrotluanga & Lalramliana, 2011) (scaled swamp eel)
 * Ophichthys indicus (Silas & E. Dawson, 1961) (Bombay swamp eel)
 * Ophichthys terricolus