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 3,000 m (9,800 ft).[3][4] These fish are rarely observed, so little information is currently known about their habits or full distribution.

Saccopharynx ampullaceus

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Saccopharyngidae
Genus: Saccopharynx
Species:
S. ampullaceus
Binomial name
Saccopharynx ampullaceus
Harwood, 1827[2]
Synonyms

Saccopharynx flagellum
Ophiognathus ampullaceus

Physical characteristics

Like other saccopharyngiforms, these fish have large mouths and long, slender bodies with long tails that have a bioluminescent organ at the tip. The function of this organ is currently unknown.

Saccopharynx ampullaceus lacks a traditional gas-filled swim bladder, presumably due to the pressures at the depths they live in. Instead, the function of the swim bladder has been replaced by lymphatic spaces that run along the spine which are filled with a gelatinous substance. This gelatinous substance is thought to be maintained by the eel's aglomerular kidney.[5]

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References
  1. NatureServe (2015). "Saccopharynx ampullaceus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. . ITIS.gov (2016-04-07). Retrieved on 2016-04-07.
  3. Catalog of Fishes search. Research.calacademy.org. Retrieved on 2016-04-07.
  4. Fishbase.org Retrieved April 7, 2016
  5. Ozaka, Chieko; Yamamoto, Naoyuki; Nielsen, Jørgen G.; Somiya, Hiroaki (2011-11-01). "The aglomerular kidney of the deep-sea gulper eel Saccopharynx ampullaceus (Saccopharyngiformes: Saccopharyngidae)". Ichthyological Research. 58 (4): 297–301. doi:10.1007/s10228-011-0227-1. ISSN 1616-3915.


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