FAMILY Heterenchelyidae Regan, 1912 - shortfaced eels, mud eels [=Heterenchelidae] Notes: Heterenchelidae Regan, 1912d:379, 382 [ref. 31893] (family) Heterenchelys [stem corrected to Heterenchely- by Jordan 1923a:133 [ref. 2421], confirmed by Myers and Storey 1956:17 [ref. 32831], by Nelson 1976:83 [ref. 32838], by McCosker 1977:16 [ref. 6836], by Smith 1989:48 [ref. 13285] and by Nelson 2006:116 [ref. 32486]]

GENUS Panturichthys Pellegrin, 1913 - shortfaced eels [=Panturichthys Pellegrin [J.], 1913:117, Lophenchelys Ben-Tuvia [A.], 1953:9, Ophisichthys Osório [B.], 1917:129] Notes: [ref. 3427]. Masc. Panturichthys mauritanicus Pellegrin, 1913. Type by monotypy. •Valid as Panturichthys Pellegrin, 1913 -- (Blache et al. 1973:228 [ref. 7185], Saldanha in Whitehead et al. 1986:545 [ref. 13676], Smith 1989:52 [ref. 13285], Klausewitz 1989:258 [ref. 13650], Smith et al. 2012:484, 491 [ref. 32196]). Current status: Valid as Panturichthys Pellegrin, 1913. Heterenchelyidae. (Lophenchelys) [ref. 257]. Fem. Lophenchelys fowleri Ben-Tuvia, 1953. Type by monotypy. •Synonym of Panturichthys Pellegrin, 1913 -- (Blache et al. 1973:228 [ref. 7185], Smith et al. 2012:490 [ref. 32196]). Current status: Synonym of Panturichthys Pellegrin, 1913. Heterenchelyidae. (Ophisichthys) [ref. 3318]. Masc. Ophisichthys dubius Osório, 1917. Type by monotypy. Spelled Ophisichtys once on p. 130, Ophisichthys elsewhere (p. 105, 129). •Synonym of Panturichthys Pellegrin, 1913 -- (Blache et al. 1973:228 [ref. 7185], Smith et al. 2012:490 [ref. 32196]). Current status: Synonym of Panturichthys Pellegrin, 1913. Heterenchelyidae.

Species Panturichthys fowleri (Ben-Tuvia, 1953) - Fowler's shortfaced eel [=Lophenchelys fowleri Ben-Tuvia [A.], 1953:9, Fig. 3] Notes: [Bulletin, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Sea Fisheries Research Station Haifa No. 8; ref. 257] Israel, Mediterranean Sea coast, depth 15-30 fathoms. Current status: Valid as Panturichthys fowleri (Ben-Tuvia, 1953). Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Eastern Mediterranean Sea endemic. Habitat: marine. Species Panturichthys isognathus Poll, 1953 - Cape Morro shortfaced eel (author) [=Pantaurichthys isognathus Poll [M.], 1953:123, Fig. 48] Notes: [Résultats scientifique. Expédition océanographic belge dans les eaux côtières africaines de l'Atlantique sud (1948-1949). Bruxelles. v. 4 (no. 2); ref. 12713] Atlantic, 23 miles west of Cape Morro, 10°45'S, 13°31'E, depth 100 meters. Current status: Valid as Panturichthys isognathus Poll, 1953. Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic. Habitat: marine.

Species Panturichthys longus (Ehrenbaum, 1915) - Pointe-Noire shortfaced eel (author) [=Heterenchelys longus Ehrenbaum [E.], 1915:77] Notes: [Über Küstenfische von Westafrika, besonders von Kamerun.; ref. 15784] Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. Current status: Valid as Panturichthys longus (Ehrenbaum, 1915). Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic. Habitat: marine.

Species Panturichthys mauritanicus Pellegrin, 1913 - Mauritanian shortface eel [=Panturichthys mauritanicus Pellegrin [J.], 1913:118, Ophisichthys dubius Osório [B.], 1917:130, Pl. 8 (figs. 1-2) [= Pl. 36 (figs. 1-2)]] Notes: [Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France v. 38; ref. 3427] Baie du Lévrier, Mauritania. Current status: Valid as Panturichthys mauritanicus Pellegrin, 1913. Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic. Habitat: marine. (dubius) [Arquivo da Universidade de Lisboa v. 4; ref. 3318] Coast of Morocco, eastern Atlantic. Current status: Synonym of Panturichthys mauritanicus Pellegrin, 1913. Heterenchelyidae. Habitat: marine.

GENUS Pythonichthys Poey, 1868 - mud eels [=Pythonichthys Poey [F.], 1868:265, Heterenchelys Regan [C. T.], 1912:323] Notes: [ref. 14079]. Masc. Pythonichthys sanguineus Poey, 1868. Type by monotypy. •Valid as Pythonichthys Poey, 1868 -- (Rosenblatt & Rubinoff 1972 [ref. 7124], McCosker & Phillips 1979 [ref. 6980], Smith 1989:52 [ref. 13285], Smith 2003:694 [ref. 26989], Smith et al. 2012:490 [ref. 32196]). Current status: Valid as Pythonichthys Poey, 1868. Heterenchelyidae. (Heterenchelys) [ref. 3647]. Fem. Heterenchelys microphthalmus Regan, 1912. Type by subsequent designation. Type designated by Jordan 1920:545 [ref. 4905]. •Synonym of Pythonichthys Poey, 1868 -- (Smith 1989:52 [ref. 13285], Smith et al. 2012:491 [ref. 32196]). Current status: Synonym of Pythonichthys Poey, 1868. Heterenchelyidae.

Species Pythonichthys asodes Rosenblatt & Rubinoff, 1972 - Pacific mud eel [=Pythonichthys asodes Rosenblatt [R. H.] & Rubinoff [I.], 1972:356, Figs. 1-3] Notes: [Bulletin of Marine Science v. 22 (no. 2); ref. 7124] Fort Amador Causeway, entrance to Panama Canal, Panama, depth 17 meters. Current status: Valid as Pythonichthys asodes Rosenblatt & Rubinoff, 1972. Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Eastern Pacific. Habitat: marine.

Species Pythonichthys macrurus (Regan, 1912) - Elobey Grande mud eel (author) [=Heterenchelys macrurus Regan [C. T.], 1912:323] Notes: [Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 8) v. 10 (no. 57); ref. 3647] Elobey Grande Island, Equatorial Guinea, western Africa. Current status: Valid as Pythonichthys macrurus (Regan, 1912). Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic. Habitat: marine.

Species Pythonichthys microphthalmus (Regan, 1912) - Congo mud eel (author) [=Heterenchelys microphthalmus Regan [C. T.], 1912:323] Notes: [Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Series 8) v. 10 (no. 57); ref. 3647] Congo River estuary. Current status: Valid as Pythonichthys microphthalmus (Regan, 1912). Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic. Habitat: marine. Species Pythonichthys sanguineus Poey, 1868 - Matanzas mud eel (author) [=Pythonichthys sanguineus Poey [F.], 1868:265, Heterenchelys biaggii Böhlke [J. E.], 1956:8, Fig. 2A] Notes: [Repertorio Fisico-Natural de la Isla de Cuba v. 2; ref. 14079] Matanzas, Cuba. Current status: Valid as Pythonichthys sanguineus Poey, 1868. Heterenchelyidae. Distribution: Western Atlantic. Habitat: marine. (biaggii) [Notulae Naturae (Philadelphia) No. 289; ref. 596] Mayagüez pier, Puerto Rico. Current status: Synonym of Pythonichthys sanguineus Poey, 1868. Heterenchelyidae. Habitat: marine