Echelus

Echelus is a genus of eels in the snake-eel family Ophichthidae. Fossils belonging to this genus date back to the Early Eocene.

Species

There are currently 4 recognized species in this genus:

• Echelus myrus <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small> (Painted eel)
• Echelus pachyrhynchus <small>(Vaillant, 1888)</small>
• Echelus polyspondylus <small>J. E. McCosker & H. C. Ho, 2015</small> (Many-vertebrae snake eel)
• Echelus uropterus <small>(Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)</small> (Finned snake eel)

The following fossil species are also known:

• †Echelus arcuatus <small>Radwanska, 1984</small> - Middle Miocene of Poland [<nowiki/>otolith]
• †Echelus branchialis <small>(Woodward, 1901)</small> - Early Eocene of England
• †Echelus contractus <small>Stinton</small><small>, 1975</small> - Middle Eocene of England [otolith]
• †Echelus dolloi <small>(Storms, 1896)</small> - Middle Eocene of Belgium (=Eomyrus)

References