ophioneus, Sphagebranchus Evermann [B. W.] & Marsh [M. C.] 1900:73, Fig. 7 [Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission v. 20 (pt 1) [for 1900]; ref. 14876] Off Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, Fish Hawk station 6065, depth 4-6 fathoms. Holotype (unique): USNM 49526. Type catalog: Smith 1994:36 [ref. 21917]. •Valid as Ichthyapus ophioneus (Evermann & Marsh 1900) -- (McCosker 1977:68 [ref. 6836], Robins & Ray 1986:63 [ref. 23100], Edwards & Glass 1987:627 [ref. 9166], McCosker et al. 1989:323 [ref. 13288], Leiby in Smith 1989:848 [ref. 13285], Leiby 1990:184 [ref. 13652], Cervigón 1992:372 [ref. 23827], McEachran & Fechhelm 1998:269 [ref. 23897], Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999:138 [ref. 25013], Schmitter-Soto et al. 2000:149 [ref. 27754], Rocha & Rosa 2001:989 [ref. 25909], McCosker 2003:732 [ref. 26993], Menezes in Menezes et al. 2003:35 [ref. 27192], McCosker 2004:171 [ref. 27619], Smith et al. 2003:7 [ref. 27621], Nelson et al. 2004:62 [ref. 27807], Wirtz et al. 2014:3 [ref. 33516], McCosker 2016:1663 [ref. 34558], Brown et al. 2019:157 [ref. 36444], Rotundo et al. in Marceniuk et al. 2021:109 [ref. 38945], Page et al. 2023:54 [ref. 40505], Fricke et al. 2024:122 [ref. 41622]). Current status: Valid as Ichthyapus ophioneus (Evermann & Marsh 1900). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Distribution: Western Atlantic: Bermuda, southern Florida (U.S.A.) and Bahamas south to eastern Brazil, including southern Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea; southern-central Atlantic: Ascension Island and Saint Helena. IUCN (2015): Least Concern. Habitat: marine.