Brachysomophis porphyreus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)
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
Brachysomophis porphyreus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by Coenraad Jacob Temminck and Hermann Schlegel in 1846. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the northwestern Pacific Ocean, including Taiwan, China, Japan, and Korea. It is known to dwell at a depth of 20 metres, and makes burrows in mud, nearly deep enough to cover itself completely. Males can reach a maximum total length of 130 centimetres.
The species epithet "porphyreus" refers to the purple colouring of living specimens.
Wikipedia contributors, Brachysomophis porphyreus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:12:01.593850+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Brachysomophis porphyreus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)
- Name authority
- (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Ophichthidae
- Genus
- Brachysomophis
- 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
- genusBrachysomophis Kaup, 1856
- speciesBrachysomophis porphyreus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Brachysomophis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Brachysomophis atlanticus Blache & Saldanha, 1972 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brachysomophis cirrocheilos (Bleeker, 1857) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brachysomophis longipinnis McCosker & Randall, 2001 | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Brachysomophis umbonis McCosker & Randall, 2001 | 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 |
|---|---|
| Mystriophis porphyreus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) | synonym |
| Ophichthys adspersus Günther, 1870 Günther, 1870 | synonym |
| Ophisurus porphyreus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 | 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=279128 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:MZWT. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.