Which caecilian genus includes the aquatic rubber eels sold in the pet trade?

The aquatic rubber eels sold in the pet trade are caecilians in the genus Typhlonectes.

The most familiar aquarium species is Typhlonectes natans, also called the Rio Cauca caecilian. It is a fully aquatic amphibian native to parts of Colombia and Venezuela. Typhlonectes also includes the Cayenne caecilian, Typhlonectes compressicauda, found in Amazonian and neighboring regions of South America.

Despite the “rubber eel” nickname, these animals are not eels or fish. They are caecilians, one of the three living amphibian lineages alongside frogs and salamanders. Their long, limbless bodies and smooth, dark skin make them look eel-like, which is why aquarium stores have sometimes marketed them as fish.

Typhlonectes natans can reach roughly 45–55 centimeters and breathes mostly through its skin, though it can take air at the surface. It gives birth to live young in water, another trait that distinguishes it from many familiar egg-laying amphibians.