# Ophisternon

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***Ophisternon*** is a genus of [swamp eels](/source/Swamp_eel) found in fresh and [brackish](/source/Brackish) waters in [South](/source/South_Asia) and [Southeast Asia](/source/Southeast_Asia), [New Guinea](/source/New_Guinea), Australia, [Middle America](/source/Middle_America_(Americas)) and [West Africa](/source/West_Africa).[2] Two species are blind [cave-dwellers](/source/Cavefish).[3]

Well-preserved fossil remains of an *Ophisternon* sp. are known from the [early Pleistocene](/source/Early_Pleistocene)-aged [Laguna Formation](/source/Laguna_Formation) of the Philippines, representing the oldest known fossil record of this genus.[4]

## Species

There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:[2][5]

- *[Ophisternon aenigmaticum](/source/Ophisternon_aenigmaticum)* [D. E. Rosen](/source/Donn_Eric_Rosen) & [Greenwood](/source/Humphry_Greenwood), 1976 (Obscure swamp eel)
- *[Ophisternon afrum](/source/Ophisternon_afrum)* ([Boulenger](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger), 1909) (Guinea swamp eel)
- *[Ophisternon bengalense](/source/Ophisternon_bengalense)* [McClelland](/source/John_McClelland_(doctor)), 1844 (Bengal eel)
- *[Ophisternon candidum](/source/Ophisternon_candidum)* ([Mees](/source/Gerlof_Fokko_Mees), 1962) (Blind cave eel)
- *[Ophisternon gutturale](/source/Ophisternon_gutturale)* ([J. Richardson](/source/John_Richardson_(naturalist)), 1845) (Australian swamp eel)
- *[Ophisternon infernale](/source/Ophisternon_infernale)* ([C. L. Hubbs](/source/Carl_Leavitt_Hubbs), 1938) (Blind swamp eel)
- *[Ophisternon berlini](/source/Ophisternon_berlini)* (J. Arroyave, 2024) (Berlin's bloodworm eel) [5]

## References

1. Romero, A., editor (2001). *The Biology of Hypogean Fishes.* Developments in Environmental Biology of Fishes. ISBN 978-1402000768

1. Přikryl, Tomáš; Castro, Abigael; Fernando, Allan Gil; Nogot, Jaan Ruy Conrad; Magtoto, Clarence; Garas, Kevin; Mediodia, Dominique; Lin, Chien-Hsiang (2025-01-16). "Fossil fish assemblage of the Laguna Formation, Philippines: unveiling the uniqueness of Pleistocene freshwater ecosystems in Southeast Asia". *Swiss Journal of Palaeontology*. **144** (1): 5. [doi:10.1186/s13358-024-00347-0](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13358-024-00347-0). [ISSN 1664-2384](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1664-2384)

1. Arroyave, Jairo; Angulo, Arturo; Mar-Silva, Adán Fernando; Stiassny, Melanie L. J. (2024-10-02). ["A New Endogean, Dwarf, and Troglomorphic Species of Swamp Eel of the Genus Ophisternon (Synbranchiformes: Synbranchidae) from Costa Rica: Evidence from Comparative Mitogenomic and Anatomical Data"](https://bioone.org/journals/ichthyology-and-herpetology/volume-112/issue-3/i2024055/A-New-Endogean-Dwarf-and-Troglomorphic-Species-of-Swamp-Eel/10.1643/i2024055.full). *Ichthyology & Herpetology*. **112** (3). [doi:10.1643/i2024055](https://doi.org/10.1643/i2024055). [ISSN 2766-1512](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2766-1512)

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