About Ophichthus bonaparti (Kaup, 1856)
Ophichthus bonaparti is an eel species that belongs to the Ophichthidae family, commonly called worm/snake eels. It is known by several common names: the Napoleon snake eel, Napoleon eel, Purplebanded snake eel, and Saddled snake-eel. Johann Jakob Kaup first described this species in 1856, when it was originally classified under the genus Poecilocephalus.
This is a marine, tropical eel found in the Indo-Pacific region, with recorded locations including Durban, South Africa, Mauritius, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, and the Penghu Islands. It lives at a depth of 20 metres (66 ft), inhabits lagoons and reefs, and digs solitary burrows in sand sediment. The maximum recorded total length for males of this species is 75 centimetres (30 in).
