Dalophis cephalopeltis (Bleeker, 1863)
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
Dalophis cephalopeltis is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels) first described by Peiter Bleeker in 1863. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known to inhabit the Eastern Atlantic near the coast of western Africa. It lives in estuaries and rivers, and forms burrows in sand or mud. Males have been recorded to reach a maximum total length of 53.5 centimetres.
Wikipedia contributors, Dalophis cephalopeltis; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:29:15.371254+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Dalophis cephalopeltis (Bleeker, 1863)
- Name authority
- (Bleeker, 1863)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Dalophis
- 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
- genusDalophis Rafinesque, 1810
- speciesDalophis cephalopeltis (Bleeker, 1863)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Dalophis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Dalophis boulengeri (Blache, Cadenat & Stauch, 1970) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dalophis imberbis (Delaroche, 1809) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dalophis multidentatus Blache & Bauchot, 1972 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Ophichthys buettikoferi Steindachner, 1894 Steindachner, 1894 | synonym |
| Ophichthys buttikoferi Steindachner, 1894 Steindachner, 1894 | synonym |
| Sphagebranchus cephalopeltis Bleeker, 1863 Bleeker, 1863 | synonym |
| Caecula cephalopeltis (Bleeker, 1863) (Bleeker, 1863) | 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=271932 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:6CBGW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.