Juergen Freund / Clown / Napoleon snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) emerging from sand, Batangas, Philippines.

David Hall / Many-eyed snake eel (Ophichthus polyophthalmus), head peering out of burrow. Pantar, Alor Archipelago, Indonesia; November, 2006.

Gary Bell/ Oceanwide / Black-finned Snake Eel (Ophichthus melanochir) buried in sand, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Pascal Kobeh / Black finned snake eel (Ophichthus melanochir) buried in the sand, Sulu Sea, Philippines

Alex Mustard / Portrait of a Clown snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) emerging from the seabed. Ambon Bay, Ambon, Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia. Banda Sea, tropical west Pacific Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Portrait of a Clown snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) emerging from the seabed. Ambon Bay, Ambon, Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia. Banda Sea, tropical west Pacific Ocean.

Constantinos Petrinos / Blackfin snake eel (Ophichthus altipennis) emerging from burrow, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Napoleon snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparte) swimming over sand. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Pascal Kobeh / Bonapart's / Napoleon snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) head sticking out of sand, Sulu Sea, Philippines

Pascal Kobeh / Bonapart's / Napoleon snake eels (Ophichthus bonaparti) heads above sea floor, Sula Sea, Philippines

Georgette Douwma / Napoleon snake eel (Ophychthus bonaparti) out of its burrow, swimming over sandy bottom. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Jeff Rotman / Close-up of High-Fin Snake Eel (Ophichthus altipennis). Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Celebes Sea, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Clown snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) emerging from seabed, Komodo NP, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Black finned snake eel (Ophichthus melanochir) outside its hole, free swimming. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Black finned snake eel (Ophichthus melanochir) with commensal shrimp. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Black finned snake eel (Ophichthus melanochir) looking out of its hole in the sea bed. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Michele Westmorland / Spotted snake eel (Ophichthus ophis) buried in sand, Dominica, West Indies, Caribbean.

Sue Daly / Black-finned snake eel (Ophichtus melanochir) hidden in sand with head exposed, Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Jeff Rotman / Black-Finned Snake Eel (Ophichthus melanochir) with Cleaner Shrimp (Stenopodidae). Lembeh Strait, Celebes Sea, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Jeff Rotman / Black-Finned Snake Eel (Ophichthus melanochir) with head protruding from sand of seabed, Lembeh Strait, Celebes Sea, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Fred Bavendam / Napoleon Snake Eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) emerging from burrow, Bali, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / Black-finned Snake Eel (Ophichthus melanochir) being cleaned by a shrimp, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia

Doug Perrine / Black finned snake eel {Ophichthus melanochir} head sticking out of sand, Mabul Island, Borneo, Malaysia

Norbert Wu / Pacific Snake Eel (Ophichthus triserialis) a type of fish that travels through coral rubble to hunt, Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Napoleon snake eel {Ophichthus bonaparta} Papua New Guinea

Jacob Guy / Blackfin snake eel (Ophichthus altipennis) head above sand. The animal is waiting for prey to pass over. The rest of its body is buried beneath the sand. Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.

Alex Mustard / Portrait of a Black saddle snake eel (Ophichthus cephalozona) emerging from the sand at night. Dauin, Dauin Marine Protected Area, Dumaguete, Negros, Philippines. Bohol Sea, tropical west Pacific Ocea...

Linda Pitkin / Napoleon snake eel (Ophichthus bonaparti) Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.