Species that contain: Ophisurus and serpens [ 9 ] records

acutirostris, Muraena Gronow [L. T.] in Gray 1854:19 [Catalogue of fish collected and described by Laurence Theodore Gronow; ref. 1911] America. No types known. •Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (Blache et al. 1973:250 [ref. 7185], Leiby 1990:191 [ref. 13652]). Current status: Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Habitat: brackish, marine.

capensis, Leptorhynchus Smith [A.] 1840:unnumbered page, Pl. 6 [Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa v. 4; ref. 4035] Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. No types known. •Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (McCosker 1977:82 [ref. 6836], McCosker & Castle 1986:184 [ref. 5690]). Current status: Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Habitat: brackish, marine.

maculosa, Muraena Cuvier [G.] (ex Lister in Ray) 1816:232 [Le Règne Animal; ref. 993] No locality (is probably Indonesia). Holotype (unique): MNHN B-2730. Type catalog: Bauchot et al. 1993:108 [ref. 20810]. Based in part on Ophisurus ophis (non Linnaeus 1758) of Lacepède 1800: 195, 196, Pl. 6 (fig. 2) [ref. 2709], which was based on the ‘Serpens marinus maculosus’ of Ray 1713:37 [ref. 30231] citing a manuscript by M. Lister. •Valid as Myrichthys maculosus (Cuvier 1816) -- (McCosker 1977:78 [ref. 6836], Dor 1984:36 [ref. 29757], Asano in Masuda et al. 1984:31 [ref. 6441], McCosker & Castle 1986:181 [ref. 5690], Paxton et al. 1989:119 [ref. 12442], McCosker et al. 1989:373 [ref. 13288], Winterbottom et al. 1989:12 [ref. 13251], Randall et al. 1990:45 [ref. 15987], McCosker & Rosenblatt 1993:161 [ref. 21180], Francis 1993:158 [ref. 25479], Allen & Robertson 1994:53 [ref. 22193], Goren & Dor 1994:9 [ref. 25356], Quéro & Saldanha 1995:75 [ref. 22017], Randall 1995:62 [ref. 22896], Allen 1997:58 [ref. 23977], Kuiter 1997:26 [ref. 25488], Randall et al. 1997:45 [ref. 25919], Myers 1999:57 [ref. 23965], Fricke 1999:65 [ref. 24106], Smith & McCosker 1999:1668 [ref. 24715], Randall 1999:6 [ref. 25829], Allen 2000:84 [ref. 37268], Nakabo 2000:221 [ref. 25086], McCosker in Randall & Lim 2000:586 [ref. 25122], Laboute & Grandperrin 2000:117 [ref. 25191], Randall & Earle 2000:8 [ref. 25806], Hutchins 2001:17 [ref. 25847], Nakabo 2002:221 [ref. 26001], Allen & Adrim 2003:24 [ref. 26830], Manilo & Bogorodsky 2003:S95 [ref. 27377], Myers & Donaldson 2003:612 [ref. 27495], Lobel & Lobel 2004:68 [ref. 27576], Randall et al. 2004:6 [ref. 27624], Tang & Zhang 2004:22 [ref. 27889], Heemstra et al. 2004:3316 [ref. 27945], Heemstra & Heemstra 2004:105 [ref. 28072], Randall 2005:32 [ref. 28239], McCosker & Stewart 2006:93 [ref. 28702], McCosker et al. 2006:270 [ref. 29006], Randall 2007:67 [ref. 30952], Fricke et al. 2009:19 [ref. 30213], Motomura et al. 2010:74 [ref. 31256], Zhang et al. 2010:367 [ref. 31511], Caratini & Soriano 2011:56 [ref. 39915], Fricke et al. 2011:352 [ref. 31342], McCosker & Allen 2012:39 [ref. 31763], Allen & Erdmann 2012:107 [ref. 31980], Fricke et al. 2013:251 [ref. 32706], McCosker 2014:339 [ref. 33288], Fricke et al. 2015:64 [ref. 33895], Delrieu-Trottin et al. 2015:4 [ref. 33988], Duffy & Ahyong 2015:108 [ref. 36167], Ho et al. 2015:169 [ref. 34130], McCosker & Stewart 2015:253 [ref. 34235], Motomura et al. 2015:14 [ref. 34709], Koeda et al. 2016:9 [ref. 35333], Fricke et al. 2018:44 [ref. 35805], Golani & Fricke 2018:27 [ref. 36273], Arndt & Fricke 2019:24 [ref. 36883], Dalleau-Coudert et al. 2019:118 [ref. 40104], Zajonz et al. 2019:62 [ref. 36871], Akaike et al. 2021:19 [ref. 38809], Eudeline 2022:154 [ref. 39191], McCosker 2022:116 [ref. 39686], Murase et al. 2023:38 [ref. 40935], Allen & Erdmann 2024:117 [ref. 40796]). Current status: Valid as Myrichthys maculosus (Cuvier 1816). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Distribution: Red Sea; Indo-West Pacific: Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa, Socotra (Yemen), Aldabra (Seychelles), Comoros, Mayotte (France), Madagascar and Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues) east to Marshall Islands and French Polynesia, north to southern Japan, Ogasawara Islands and Midway Atoll, south to Western Australia, Queensland (Australia), Lord Howe Island and Kermadec Islands. IUCN (2021): Not Assessed. Habitat: marine.

major, Dalophis Rafinesque [C. S.] 1810:68 [Indice d'ittiologia siciliana; ref. 3595] Sicily, Italy, Mediterranean Sea. No types known. •Questionable synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (Parenti 2019:109 [ref. 37117]). Current status: Uncertain as Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Habitat: marine.

microphtalmus, Echelus Rafinesque [C. S.] 1810:64 [Caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali e piante della Sicilia; ref. 3594] Sicily, Italy, Mediterranean Sea. No types known. Also appeared in Rafinesque 1810:42 [ref. 3595], spelled microphthalmus. •Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (Parenti 2019:110 [ref. 37117]). Current status: Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Habitat: marine.

novaezelandiae, Ophisurus Hector [J.] 1870:34, Pl. 8 [Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute v. 2 (art. 7) (for 1869); ref. 18264] New Zealand. Originally as Novae Zelandiae, correction mandatory. •Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (McCosker 1977:82 [ref. 6836]). Current status: Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Habitat: brackish, marine.

oxyrhynchus, Leptognathus Swainson [W.] 1838:221, Fig. 42 [The natural history and classification of fishes, amphibians, & reptiles, or monocardian animals. v. 1; ref. 4302] Sicily, Italy, Mediterranean Sea. Spelled oxyrynchus in 1839:396 [ref. 4303]. •Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (McCosker 1977:82 [ref. 6836]). Current status: Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Habitat: brackish, marine.

oxyrinchus, Echelus Rafinesque [C. S.] 1810:64, Pl. 17 (fig. 4) [Caratteri di alcuni nuovi generi e nuove specie di animali e piante della Sicilia; ref. 3594] Sicily, Italy, Mediterranean Sea. •Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (Blache et al. 1973:250 [ref. 7185], Leiby 1990:191 [ref. 13652], Parenti 2019:102 [ref. 37117]). Current status: Synonym of Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Habitat: brackish, marine.

serpens, Muraena Linnaeus [C.] 1758:244 [Systema Naturae, Ed. X v. 1; ref. 2787] Mediterranean Sea, northeastern Atlantic; localities including Norway; southern France; Rome, Italy; Lesbos Island, Greece. No types known. Lectotype or neotype fixation needed: the type locality should be restricted to Mediterranean Sea according to current usage. Originally based on multiple species and at least 13 pre-Linnaean sources including Artedi 1738:24 [ref. 30578] and Artedi 1738:41 [ref. 30349] as Muraena exacte teres, cauda acuta apterygia; Rondelet 1554:409 [ref. 30354] as Serpens marinus, Salviani 1558:58, Pl. (p. 57) [ref. 30229] as Serpen(s) marin(us), Charleton 1668:125 [ref. 30580] as Serpens marinus, Willughby 1686:107 [ref. 30164] and Ray 1713:36 [ref. 30231] as Serpens marinus. Also appeared in Linnaeus 1766:425 [ref. 2786]. •Valid as Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758) -- (Blache et al. 1973:250 [ref. 7185], McCosker 1977:82 [ref. 6836], Bauchot in Whitehead et al. 1986:583 [ref. 13676], McCosker & Castle 1986:184 [ref. 5690], Paxton et al. 1989:120 [ref. 12442], Paulin et al. 1989:73 [ref. 24556], Winterbottom et al. 1989:12 [ref. 13251], Leiby 1990:190 [ref. 13652], Kuiter 1993:27 [ref. 23929], Bianchi & Carpenter in Bianchi et al. 1993:136 [ref. 25472], Gomon et al. 1994:202 [ref. 22532], Kuiter 1997:26 [ref. 25488], Smith & McCosker 1999:1669 [ref. 24715], Johnson 1999:721 [ref. 25471], Hutchins 2001:17 [ref. 25847], Bilecenoğlu et al. 2002:32 [ref. 26753], Manilo & Bogorodsky 2003:S95 [ref. 27377], Heemstra & Heemstra 2004:106 [ref. 28072], McCosker et al. 2006:272 [ref. 29006], Fricke et al. 2007:24 [ref. 29533], Smith & McCosker 2008:167 [ref. 30622], Lipej & Dulčić 2010:18 [ref. 36649], Bañón et al. 2011:157 [ref. 31596], Wirtz et al. 2013:118 [ref. 32972], McCosker & Stewart 2015:254 [ref. 34235], McCosker 2016:1666 [ref. 34558], Kousteni & Christidis 2018:2 [ref. 36672], Carneiro et al. 2019:64 [ref. 37250], Elbaraasi et al. 2019:92 [ref. 36864], Hoschke et al. 2019:153 [ref. 36626], Reiner 2019:72 [ref. 38139], Bariche & Fricke 2020:36 [ref. 37515], Kovačić et al. 2020:12 [ref. 37519], Tuncer et al. 2020:158 [ref. 37745], Bañón & Maño 2021:50 [ref. 38883], Golani 2021:15 [ref. 38303], Kovačić et al. 2021:21 [ref. 39014], Fermon et al. 2022:118 [ref. 39448], McCosker 2022:126 [ref. 39686]). Current status: Valid as Ophisurus serpens (Linnaeus 1758). Ophichthidae: Ophichthinae. Distribution: Widespread in tropical and warm temperate oceans (but not eastern Pacific or western Atlantic); eastern Atlantic from Spain south to South Africa, including Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and São Tomé and Principe; Mediterranean Sea; western Indian Ocean: South Africa north to Mozambique, east to Comoros. Habitat: brackish, marine.