Family EURYPHARYNGIDAE

Eurypharyngidae

© Copyright Ros Poole.

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Introduction

The family Eurypharyngidae was reviewed by Böhlke (1966), who recognised a single species in this worldwide family.

The pelican eel is bathypelagic and is extremely modified, having an enormous mouth and hugely distensible stomach, a tiny skull and a long tapering tail tipped with a luminescent organ. The dorsal-fin origin on the head and the gill opening nearer to the anus than to the tip of the snout distinguish the eurypharyngids from the closely related saccopharyngids. Nielsen et al. (1989) treated the biology. Maximum size attained is 75 cm.

General References

Böhlke, J.E. 1966. Order Lyomeri. In, Olsen, Y.H. (ed.) Fishes of the western North Atlantic. Mem. Sears Fndn Mar. Res. 1(5): 603–628 figs 219–220.

Nielsen, J..G., Bertelsen, E. & Jespersen, A. 1989. The biology of Eurypharynx pelecanoides (Pisces, Eurypharyngidae). Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 70(3): 187-197

Common Name References

Paxton, J.R., Hoese, D.F., Allen, G.R. & Hanley, J.E. (eds) 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Pisces: Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 7 665 pp. (Deepsea Gulper)

Smith, D.G. 1999. Families Colocongridae, Derichthyidae, Muraenesocidae, Nemichtyhyidae, Congridae, Nettastomatidae, Serrivomeridae, Cyematidae, Saccopharyngidae, Eurypharyngidae, Monognathidae. pp. 1670-1697 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. [1695] (FAO) (Gulper Eel)

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