any of about 15 species of slim, eel-like fish comprising the order Synbranchiformes. Swamp eels, unrelated to true eels (Anguilliformes), are found in fresh and brackish waters of the tropics. They appear to be related to the order Perciformes. They range from about 20 to 70 centimetres (8 to 28 inches) in length and either are scaleless or have very small scales. The dorsal and anal fins are low and continuous around the tail tip, and the gills often have only a single external opening, on the throat. In some species, the gills themselves are small, the fish relying on oxygen absorbed through the membranes of the throat or intestine. In the Orient, swamp eels are valued as food and are sometimes kept in ponds or rice fields.