Cusk-Eels and Relatives: Ophidiiformes

Cusk-eels and their relatives live in the ocean, some in very deep water and some in shallow seas and estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), or the areas where rivers meet the sea. Most of these fishes are bottom dwellers that live in mucus-lined mud or sand burrows, rock or coral crevices, or sea caves. Some live with communities of bottom-dwelling invertebrates (in-VER-teh-brehts), or animals without backbones, such as tube worms. Some species live in the body cavity of invertebrate hosts, such as pearl oysters, giant clams, and sea cucumbers. Some species live in freshwater caves.