''Saccopharynx'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
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 derived lineage of the "
saccopharyngiforms," which includes other mid-water eel species. The name is from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...
''saccus'' meaning "sack" and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
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 ...
φάρυγξ, ''
pharynx
The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its ...
''.
They are generally black in color, and can grow to lengths of 2 m (6.5 feet). They have been found at depths of 1,800 m (6,000 ft), and are known to inhabit the eastern and western Atlantic oceans, and the gulf stream.
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 fish of the teleost order Lophiiformes (). They are bony fish named for their characteristic mode of predation, in which a modified luminescent fin ray (the esca or illicium) acts as a lure for other fish. The luminescence ...
.
Species
The genus has ten recognized species:
[
* '' Saccopharynx ampullaceus'' ]Harwood Harwood may refer to:
Places
;Australia
* Harwood, New South Wales
;Canada
* Harwood, Ontario
* Harwood Island (British Columbia)
;New Zealand
* Harwood Hole
* Harwood, New Zealand
;United Kingdom
* Harwood, County Durham
* Harwood, Greater M ...
, 1827 (Gulper eel)
* '' Saccopharynx berteli'' Tighe & J. G. Nielsen, 2000
* '' Saccopharynx harrisoni'' Beebe, 1932
* '' Saccopharynx hjorti'' Bertin, 1938
* '' Saccopharynx lavenbergi'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
* '' Saccopharynx paucovertebratis'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
* '' Saccopharynx ramosus'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
* '' Saccopharynx schmidti'' Bertin, 1934 (Whiptail gulper)
* '' Saccopharynx thalassa'' J. G. Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
* '' Saccopharynx trilobatus'' 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