''Saccopharynx'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

deep-sea The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes. Conditions within the deep sea are a combination of low tempe ...

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

s with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long, scaleless bodies. Commonly, these fish are called gulpers or gulper eels. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae, and is part of the derived lineage of the "

saccopharyngiforms The Saccopharyngiformes are a derived lineage of unusual eels within the order Eel, Anguilliformes, and includes families Cyematidae, Monognathidae, Eurypharyngidae, Saccopharyngidae, and the proposed family Neocyematidae. Most of the fish in thi ...

," which includes other mid-water eel species. The name is from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''saccus'' meaning "sack" and

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

φάρυγξ, ''

pharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the human mouth, mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates ...

''. They are generally black in color, and can grow to lengths of 2 m (6.5 feet). They have been found at depths of , and are known to inhabit the eastern and western

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

and the

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...

. Their tails are tipped by a luminous, bulb-shaped organ. The exact purpose of this organ is unknown, although it is most likely used as a lure, similar to the esca of

anglerfish The anglerfish are ray-finned fish in the order Lophiiformes (). Both the order's common name, common and scientific name comes from the characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified dorsal Fish fin#Ray-fins, fin ray acts as a Aggressiv ...

. The Saccopharynx diet mostly consists from crustaceans and smaller fish. It has a stretchy stomach that can hold large meals, which is very useful in the deep sea, where food is hard to come by.

Species

The genus has ten recognized species: * ''

Saccopharynx ampullaceus ''Saccopharynx ampullaceus'', referred to as the gulper eel, gulper, taillight gulper or pelican-fish, is an ocean-dwelling eel found in the North Atlantic Ocean. They are found up to a depth of . These fish are rarely observed, so little informa ...

'' Harwood, 1827 (Gulper eel) * ''

Saccopharynx berteli ''Saccopharynx berteli'' is a species of ray-finned fish within the family Saccopharyngidae. It is known from a single holotype collected from the central Pacific Ocean through an open fishing net at a depth of in 1977. The individual caught was ...

'' Tighe & J. G. Nielsen, 2000 * ''

Saccopharynx harrisoni ''Saccopharynx'' is a genus of deep-sea eels with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long, scaleless bodies. Commonly, these fish are called gulpers or gulper eels. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae, and is part of the deriv ...

'' Beebe, 1932 * ''

Saccopharynx hjorti ''Saccopharynx'' is a genus of deep-sea eels with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long, scaleless bodies. Commonly, these fish are called gulpers or gulper eels. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae, and is part of the deriv ...

Bertin Bertin (; 615 – ''c''. 709 AD), also known as Saint Bertin the Great, was the Frankish abbot of a monastery in Saint-Omer later named the Abbey of Saint Bertin after him. He is venerated as a saint by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The ...

, 1938 * ''

Saccopharynx lavenbergi ''Saccopharynx lavenbergi'' is a species of gulper eel, also known as the whiptail gulper. This fish is known for its large mouth and long whiplike tail. This species is not commonly found in the wild, with fewer than twenty sightings over 30 ye ...

'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985 * ''

Saccopharynx paucovertebratis ''Saccopharynx paucovertebratis'' is a species of ray-finned fish within the family Saccopharyngidae. The species is known from a single a single holotype collected from a fishing trawl west of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic ...

'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985 * ''

Saccopharynx ramosus ''Saccopharynx'' is a genus of deep-sea eels with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long, scaleless bodies. Commonly, these fish are called gulpers or gulper eels. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae, and is part of the deriv ...

'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985 * ''

Saccopharynx schmidti ''Saccopharynx'' is a genus of deep-sea eels with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long, scaleless bodies. Commonly, these fish are called gulpers or gulper eels. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae, and is part of the deriv ...

'' Bertin, 1934 (Whiptail gulper) * ''

Saccopharynx thalassa ''Saccopharynx thalassa'' is a species of ray-finned fish within the family Saccopharyngidae. Its known to live in the Eastern Atlantic near Madeira and the Canary Islands, and the Western Atlantic near Bermuda at depths up to 1,700 meters. It gr ...

'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985 * ''

Saccopharynx trilobatus ''Saccopharynx'' is a genus of deep-sea eels with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long, scaleless bodies. Commonly, these fish are called gulpers or gulper eels. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae, and is part of the deriv ...

'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985

References

Saccopharyngidae Ray-finned fish genera Marine fish genera Deep sea fish Taxa named by Samuel L. Mitchill {{Saccopharyngiformes-stub