An unusual beach find: Ophichthidae known as a Snake Eel
Posted By RichC on March 21, 2026
Snake eels are common in Florida waters, including along the Atlantic coast (although this dried up one was the first for us on Delray Beach, Florida). They have long, slender, snake-like bodies with mottled or brownish patterns for camouflage in sand/mud, and they often burrow into the seafloor. According to my reading, “when storms, red tide events, strong currents or other factors dislodge them, they frequently wash up dead or dying on beaches, where people mistake them for actual snakes.”
Ophichthidae is a family of fish in the order Anguilliformes, commonly known as the snake eels. The term “Ophichthidae” comes from Greek ophis (“serpent”) and ichthys (“fish”). Snake eels are also burrowing eels. They are named for their physical appearance, as they have long, cylindrical, snake-like bodies.
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