Napoleon Snake Eel

Ophichthus bonaparti

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Ophichthidae
Genus: Ophichthus
Species: Ophichthus bonaparti

The Napoleon snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) is a burrowing snake eel with a brown-spotted head that pokes out of the sand. Its body is ringed with dark, saddle-like blotches.

It grows to about 75 cm and ambushes small fish and crustaceans from its burrow. It sometimes leaves the sand to hunt at night.

In the Philippines it is found on sandy and muddy bottoms, a common muck-diving subject.