Phylogenetic analysis of the Red Sea tiger snake eel Myrichthys maculosus (Family Ophichthidae) by using 16S rRNA

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONOphichthidae or snake eels is a family of order Anguilliformes, which comprise 19 families, 159 genera and nearly 938 species, most of them are marine, but some species entering rivers (Nelson et al., 2016). The majority of Ophichthidae spends their time buried in sand and applies their sense of smell in hunting small fishes and crustaceans (Nelson, 1994).Comparing with morays snake eels is much less seen. The tiger eel (spotted snake eel) may reach to 1 m long or more, generally lives at depths between 1 and 25 m or more down, mostly in sandy areas by reefs (Debelius, 2011 ; Lieske and Myers, 2012).Recently the phylogenetic relationship of eel species and revised taxonomic hierarchy, evaluated by short fragments of mitochondrial and also nuclear gene (Jamandne et al., 2007; Tang and Fietitz 2012; Peninal et al., 2017).The variation of eel species and evidenced the major lineages originated between the end of Cretaceous