Napoleon snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti)

General data
- Main name: Napoleon snake eel
- Local names: Napoleon eel, Purplebanded snake eel, Saddled snake-eel
- Climates: Tropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Africa, Asia, Australia & Oceania
- Distribution: Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean
Classification
- Genus: Ophichthus - Ophichthus
- Family: Ophichthidae - Snake Eels
- Order: Anguilliformes - Eels and morays
- Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
The Napoleon snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti, also known as the Napoleon eel, the Purplebanded snake eel, or the Saddled snake-eel) is an eel in the family Ophichthidae (worm/snake eels). It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including Durban, South Africa, Mauritius, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, and the Penghu Islands. It is known to dwell at a depth of 20 metres (66 ft), and inhabits lagoons and reefs; it forms solitary burrows in sand sediments. Males can reach a maximum total length of 75 centimetres (30 in). The fish is named in honor of biologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte (1803-1857), who supplied the type specimen.