Brachysomophis umbonis McCosker & Randall, 2001
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 turret snake eel (Brachysomophis umbonis) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It was described by John E. McCosker and John Ernest Randall in 2001. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific, including Indonesia and the Philippines. It dwells at a depth range of 14 to 18 metres (46 to 59 ft), and inhabits sand and reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 13.9 centimetres (5.5 in).
The species epithet, "umbonis", meaning "rounded protuberance" in Latin, refers to the prominent lateral projections of the eel's cheeks.
Wikipedia contributors, Turret snake eel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T19:12:01.593850+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Brachysomophis umbonis McCosker & Randall, 2001
- Name authority
- McCosker & Randall, 2001
- 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 umbonis McCosker & Randall, 2001
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 porphyreus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) | OphichthidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
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.
- McCosker, J. E., & Randall, J. E. (2001). Revision of the snake-eel genus Brachysomophis (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with description of two new species and comments on the species of Mystriophis. Indo-Pac. Fish., 33. 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:MZWV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.