blackspotted snake eel
Quassiremus ascensionis (Studer, 1889)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Blackspotted snake eel (Quassiremus ascensionis) is a species of eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Théophile Rudolphe Studer in 1889. It is a rare tropical, marine eel which is known from the western and southern Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles, Brazil, and Ascension Island (from which its species epithet is derived). It is known to dwell at a depth of 12 meters, and inhabits sand and turtle grass; it forms burrows which leave its head exposed. Males can reach a maximum total length of 71 centimeters.
Wikipedia contributors, Blackspotted snake eel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:10:20.282803+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Quassiremus ascensionis (Studer, 1889)
- Name authority
- (Studer, 1889)
- Common name
- blackspotted snake eel
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Quassiremus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderAnguilliformes
- familyOphichthidae Günther, 1870
- subfamilyOphichthinae Günther, 1870
- genusQuassiremus Jordan & Davis, 1891
- speciesQuassiremus ascensionis (Studer, 1889)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Quassiremus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Quassiremus evionthas (Jordan & Bollman, 1890) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| redsaddled snake eelQuassiremus nothochir (Gilbert, 1890) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Quassiremus goslingi Beebe & Tee-Van, 1932 Beebe & Tee-Van, 1932 | synonym |
| Quassiremus productus Seale, 1917 Seale, 1917 | synonym |
| Ophichthys ascensionis Studer, 1889 Studer, 1889 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=282532 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4R2B6. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.