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uncharismatic-fauna · 13 hours

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The Can-do Pelican Eel

The pelican eel, also known as the gulper eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides), are the only known species of eel in the family Eurypharyngidae. They are found exclusively in the deeper parts of the water column, from depths of 500 up to to 3,000 m (1,600 to 9,800 ft), but are distributed throughout all the world's oceans.

The gulper eel is perhaps most famous for its unique body shape. Like many deep-sea fish, this species is highly adapted to its environment; maximum energy efficiency is the highest priority. To that end, the pelican eel has a large head, and a jaw estimated to be quarter of the total length of its body. The jaw is loosely hinged, meaning that gulper eels can open their mouths extremely wide. The rest of the eel, in contrast, is quite slender and long, about 0.75 m (2.5 ft) in length on average. Most individuals are black--so black, in fact, that they only reflect 0.5% of light; perfect for hiding from potential predators.

Although they look skinny, E. pelecanoides can expand their stomachs to hold prey much larger than themselves. Their primary prey consists of crustaceans and cephalopods, though they may feed opportunistically on other fish. Because it is so well camouflaged, it uses bioluminescent organs on the tip of its tail to attract prey. Gulper eels themselves are preyed upon by lancetfish and other larger deep-sea fish. To deter predators, they will gulp down a large amount of water; this stretches the loose skin around their head and throat, and inflates them to several times their usual size.

Because of their remote location, the breeding habits of gulper eels are relatively unknown. However, it is believed that smell plays a large part in attracting a mate, as pelican eels have highly developed olfactory organs. Like other eels, they're born as tiny, transparent larvae in a state known as the leptocephalus stage. At this stage, they do not have any red blood cells. Researchers aren't sure how long it takes gulper eels to become fully mature, or how long they live, but many believe that adults die shortly after mating.

Conservation status: The population size of E. pelecanoides has not been assessed, and thus the IUCN has not made a determination on its status. The greatest threat for this species is deep-sea trawling, which frequently brings up gulper eels as by-catch.

Photos/Video

Paul Caiger

Schmidt Ocean Institute

EV Nautilus Team (I highly recommend checking out their 2023 highlights reel!)

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gggermicide · 1 year

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Part 2

#gorebyss #huntail #gulper eel #dragalge #horsea #gastrodon #nudibranch #pyukumuku #urchin #pincurchin #sea cucumber #seahorse #seadragon #pokemon #pokémon #biology #marine biology #gggermicide

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foxsnails · 4 months

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Heads up, big eel news coming your way:

World Eel Day 2024 will be on May 17th!

Last year, created the 2023 poster for the World Eel Day campaign. To my surprise, they asked me to come back for this year's one, too! You can watch my process videos (it's a big gouache painting!) over here for part one, and in part two I explain what World Eel Day is and how you can take part! It's rEELy easy!

#gonna be going hard on it this year ooo just u wait #Btw if u like buying physical paintings keep your eyes peeled #this ones going up for sale at some point soon!#marine biology #marine life #eels #worldeelday #world eel day #worldeelday24 #sea creatures #fishblr #sea life #european eel #conger eel #moray eel #ribbon eel #gulper eel #my art

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snailfish-enthusiast · 1 year

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Lovely little gulper eels

#deep sea #fishblr #marine biology #ocean #ocean life #fish #nature #eels #gulper eel

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ormspryde · 8 months

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A set of stickers based on those deep sea fish I drew in Aseprite a while back.

Available here

[ID: A sticker set of various deep sea fish done mostly in varying shades of teal. Fish include the black swallower, the barreleye, the anglerfish, the gulper eel, the frilled shark, and the lanternfish. There's a ruler along the left side for scale. /ID]

#deep sea #fish #pixel art #art #stickers #lanternfish #black swallower #barreleye #anglerfish #gulper eel #frilled shark

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fish-daily · 9 months

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hi!!! could you draw a gulper eel if it’s not too much trouble ! :-)

fish 155 - gulper eel

#fish daily #fish #gulper eel #eel #drawing

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yellydany · 2 months

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AMBER🍮🦈

Amber takes joy in eating the Cores of other Crystal beings like him and keeping them stored inside his transparent body to showcase as trophies. Just like the name suggests, he possesses a strange goopy texture that allows him to shapeshift to an extent and trap objects inside. He is heartless and commits such acts for nothing other than fun

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ultrainfinitepit · 11 months

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Gulper Eel Mermaid - a redesign from last year, just in time for Mermay 2023. Let me know if you prefer the yellow colorway with gold plating; or the blue colorway with silver plating. Or if you have another idea! I'll leave the linework with you all if anyone would like to submit their own colorway.

#mermay #mermay 2023 #mermaids #mermaid #monster girl #bare chest #nudity #gulper eel

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nazrigar · 2 years

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Mermay 2022: Even More Biology-Inspired Merfolk

I was blown away with the response I got from my first batch as well as on my Instagram so here are even more exploration of Biology-infuenced Merfolk, AKA even more of Kara’s neighbors.

Likewise, you can find out more about them on my instagram, as this is not just an exploration of jaw apparatuses, but also merfolk fashion.

Most merfolk clothing are based off of the creatures of the sea and some amphibious critters, from fishes to crocodiles and mammals (like the Elephant seal jacket of the lionfish!)

Woven kelp are another major clothing materials, with clams, pearls and mussels act as jewelry. Sometimes whole critters are used as both fashion and pets! Sharks likewise don’t need braces, so Mrs. Frilled Shark simply thought they were fashionable!

#mermay #mermay 2022 #mermaid #merfolk #orca #killer whale #frilled shark #lionfish #slingjaw wrasse #catfish #gulper eel #pelican eel #whale shark #basking shark #character design #creature design #marine biology #my art #nazrigart

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fishyfishyfishtimes · 1 year

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just discovered pelican eels :D

And boy, what fish they are!

Daily fish fact #481

Pelican eel!

Also called a gulper eel, its most recongisable feature is its massive jaws! They're estimated to be up to a quarter of the eel's length and look disproportionately large compared to its small body and thin tail. Their jaws allow the eels to swallow prey much larger than themselves, and some footage suggests they may also use their large jaws as a defensive measure, helping them appear larger and threatening.

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squartsquartson · 9 months

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Squart here with more midnight zone critters.

-The dumbo octopus is the deepest living species of octopus found to date.

-The frilled shark is one of the oldest living species of sharks, it might even date back to the late Jurassic!

-The gulper eel, true to its name, can swallow prey 11 times its size.

-The yeti crab uses those long hairy arms to catch bacteria from hydrothermal vents as its main source of food.

Want merch? Check our shop!

#art #sea creatures #sea art #ocean art #deep sea #midnight zone #octopus #umbrella octopus #yeti crab #crab #crustacean #eel #gulper eel #pelican eel #shark art #frilled shark #sharks #squart #squid art

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primalmuckygoop · 9 months

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The tower and it's inhabitant

#myart #ink #speculative biology #fantasy #urban sketching #gulper eel

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cypherdecypher · 1 year

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Animal of the Day!

Pelican Eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides)

(Photo from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute)

Conservation Status- Least Concern

Habitat- Northern Atlantic Ocean; Northern Pacific Ocean

Size (Weight/Length)- 75 cm

Diet- Small fish; Crustaceans; Cephalopods

Cool Facts- Also called a gulper eel, the deep sea pelican eel has one of the largest mouths of any eel species. The pelican eel’s mouth makes up a quarter of its body, opening wide enough to eat extremely large prey despite its rather small body size. These eels are active pursuit predators rather than stealth hunters as most deep sea fish are. Little is known about how these eels breed let alone when their breeding season is, if they have one at all. The only reason we even know about pelican eels is due to them being pulled up as bycatch in deep sea trawling nets. Submarine explorations have allowed for some footage to be taken but not much is known about pelican eel behavior.

Rating- 11/10 (Unhinged jaw for max gulping power.)

#Animal of the day #Animals #Fish #Eel #Marine animals #Friday #January 27 #Pelican eel #Gulper eel #biology #science #conservation #the more you know

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kitteyteeth · 3 months

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Pelican eel! I had trouble picking just one deep sea fish to draw and I guess it wouldn't be against the rules to pick more than one, but I wanted to finish this on time ^^;;

@fish-daily

#fishuary2024 #fish #fish art #pelican eel #gulper eel #deep sea fish #roe draws

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thecatspasta · 8 months

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@fishpostings

IMPORTANT QUESTION.

Favourite kind of fish? Favourite species of fish?

Mine are eels, specifically spotted snake eels (they're very pretty) and gulper eels (they're really interesting) and green moray eels (i've seen some in the wild) with honorary mentions to nz longfin eels (i've seen many in the wild because they are everywhere, also they are some really cool fish), how about yours?