''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 nom ...

deep-sea The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of 200 metres (656 feet) or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes. Conditions within the deep sea are a combin ...

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 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," 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 of the ...

''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 st ...

''. 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 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 ...

of anglerfish.

Species

The genus has ten recognized species: * '' Saccopharynx ampullaceus'' Harwood, 1827 (Gulper eel) * '' Saccopharynx berteli'' 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'' Bertin, 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 yea ...

'' 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