Pelican eel

Eurypharynx pelecanoides

FAMILY

Eurypharyngidae

TAXONOMY

Eurypharynx pelecanoides Vaillant, 1882, off New England, United States, about 40°N, 68°W, 3 Albatross stations, 2,334–8,802 ft (711–2,683 m).

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Big mouth gulper eel, pelican gulper, pelican gulper fish, pelican fish, deep-sea gulper, umbrella mouth gulper; French: Grand-gousier pelican; German: Pelikanaal; Spanish: Pez pelicano; Danish: Pelikanål; Finnish: Pelikaaniankerias; Icelandic: Gapaldur; Japanese: Fukuro-unagi; Polish: Polykacz.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Superficially similar to species in the genus Saccopharynx, with which it shares the closest taxonomic relationship within the order, this species is coal black overall, except for a tiny white region on the caudal organ. It is scaleless. Probably the most striking differences between the pelican eel and Saccopharynx species are that the jaw length is extreme, almost 50% of the distance to the anus; the jaw teeth are very small; and there is a gradual narrowing of the body posterior to the abdomen. Other similarities to Saccopharynx species include small eyes that detect light rather than form visual images, the presence of a presumably luminous caudal organ at the end of a very long filamentous tail, an expansible stomach, and a weakly ossified and poorly muscled body. Because the delicate tail is usually broken, the maximum size is uncertain, but the largest intact specimen ever collected measured 25.9 in (750 mm) in total length.

DISTRIBUTION

This a circumglobal species, found in temperate and tropical waters of all oceans. It is best known from the Atlantic and eastern and central Pacific Oceans.

HABITAT

The species is oceanic and bathypelagic. Although there are some shallow-water capture records at less than 1,640 ft (500m), most individuals are collected between 3,281 and 9,842 ft (1,000–3,000 m).

BEHAVIOR

Nothing is known.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

This species takes in a wider range of prey than do species in the genus Saccopharynx. Prey items include fishes, various crustaceans (especially caridean decapod shrimps), and cephalopod mollusks. In addition, there have been several reports of benthic prey items in the stomachs of pelican eels. Predators are unknown.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Reproduction is similar to that of species in the genus Saccopharynx, in that sexually mature males have greatly expanded nasal structures, accompanied by stomach atrophy, loss of dentition, and reduction in jaw structure. Reproduction is apparently a terminal event. Leptocephalus larvae are oval and deep-bodied, like Saccopharynx species, but they are smaller, with a maximum length of about 1.6 in (40 mm). They have several greatly elongated larval teeth in the upper jaw.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.

Pelican eel
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Subclass:	Neopterygii
Infraclass:	Teleostei
Superorder:	Elopomorpha
Order:	Saccopharyngiformes
Suborder:	Saccopharyngoidei
Family:	Eurypharyngidae
Genus:	Eurypharynx Vaillant, 1882
Species:	E. pelecanoides
Binomial name
Eurypharynx pelecanoides Vaillant, 1882

The pelican eel, or Eurypharynx pelecanoides, is a deep-sea fish rarely seen by humans, though the creatures are occasionally snagged in fishermen's nets. It is an eel-like fish, the only member of the genus Eurypharynx and the family Eurypharyngidae. It belongs to the order Saccopharyngiformes which is closely related to the true eels in Anguilliformes. It is also sometimes referred to as the umbrella mouth gulper.

Description

Preserved Eurypharyngid

The pelican eel's most notable feature is its enormous mouth, much larger than its body. The mouth is loosely-hinged, and can be opened wide enough to swallow a fish much larger than itself. The pouch-like lower jaw resembles that of a pelican, hence its name. The stomach can stretch and expand to accommodate large meals, although analysis of stomach contents suggests that the eels primarily eat small crustaceans. Despite the great size of the jaws, which occupy about a quarter of the animal's total length, it has only tiny teeth, which also would not be consistent with a regular diet of large fish.^[1]

The eel uses a whip-like tail for movement. The end of the tail bears a complex organ with numerous tentacles, which glows pink and gives off occasional bright red flashes. This is presumably a lure to attract prey, although its presence at the far end of the body from the mouth suggests that the eel may have to adopt an unusual posture to use it effectively. Pelican eels are also unusual in that the lateral line organ projects from the body, rather than being contained in a narrow groove; this may increase its sensitivity.^[1]

The pelican eel grows to about 1 metre (3.3 ft) in length and is found in all tropical and subtropical seas at depths ranging from 900 to 8,000 meters (3,000 to 26,200 feet).

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} McCosker, John E. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 90. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 

References

• Eurypharynx pelecanoides (TSN 161653). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 24 January 2006.
• "Eurypharynx pelecanoides". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. November 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.

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