Snipe eels are a family, Nemichthyidae, of

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 that consists of nine species in three genera. They are

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...

fishes, found in every ocean, mostly at depths of but sometimes as deep as . Depending on the species, adults may reach in length, yet they weigh only . They are distinguished by their very slender jaws that separate toward the tips as the upper jaw curves upward. The jaws appear similar to the beak of the bird called the

snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. The ''Gallinago'' snipes have a ...

. Snipe eels are oviparous, and the juveniles, called

Leptocephali Leptocephalus (meaning "slim head") is the flat and transparent larva of the eel, marine eels, and other members of the superorder Elopomorpha. This is one of the most diverse groups of teleosts, containing 801 species in 4 orders, 24 famili ...

(meaning small head), do not resemble the adults but have oval, leaf-shaped and transparent bodies. Different species of snipe eel have different shapes, sizes and colors. The similarly named bobtail snipe eel is actually in a different family and represented by two species, the black ''Cyema atrum'' and the bright red ''Neocyema erythrosoma''.

Genera and species

There are nine species in three genera:

Characteristics

File:Nemichthys scolopaceus.jpg, '' Slender snipe eel'' Snipe eels have the long, slender body typical of

s. They are distinguished by their very slender jaws that separate toward the tips as the upper jaw curves upward and which appear similar to the beak of the bird called the

. The vent may be near the throat (as in N. scolopaceus) or further back on the body (as in A. gilli and A. infans). Depending on the species, adults may reach 30-60 inches long, and weigh only a few ounces to a pound. The dorsal fins show wide variation, too. For example, ''A. gilli'' has fewer than 280 rays in its dorsal fin, while ''A. infans'' has more than 320. The only food items actually found in the stomachs of snipe eels have been shrimp-like crustaceans, though ichthyologists believe they should be capable of catching and eating small fish and cephalopods also. Since predatory fish often feed on eel larvae, it is presumed by scientists and ichthyologists that they feed on snipe eel larvae as well. It is also thought that larger fish eat adult snipe eels though there is not much direct evidence for this.

Distribution

Snipe eels are found in every ocean and generally occupy depths of 300–600 m, though specimens have been caught nearer the surface at night, and storms occasionally result in individuals being stranded on the shore. Larval snipe eels occupy more shallow regions of 60–70 m before descending to metamorphose into adult form.

Reproduction

Based on studies of several species of snipe eel in the Sargasso Sea and off the coast of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, it seems that snipe eels spawn mainly in the spring, but also into early summer. The juvenile forms of eels are generally called

leptocephali Leptocephalus (meaning "slim head") is the flat and transparent larva of the eel, marine eels, and other members of the superorder Elopomorpha. This is one of the most diverse groups of teleosts, containing 801 species in 4 orders, 24 famili ...

(meaning “small head”) and do not look like their adult forms. They are flat and transparent, taking forms that may be elongated or closer to the shape of a leaf. They remain in the larval form and near the surface (upper 200 m) for several months before descending to metamorphose. This is similar to other eel species but much longer than most other fish.Wippelhauser GS, Miller MJ, McCleave JD. Evidence of spawning and the larval distributions of snipe eels (family nemichthyidae) in the Sargasso Sea. Bulletin of Marine Science, 59(2):298-309, 1996

Similar fish

The bobtail snipe eels are two species of deep-sea fishes in the family Cyematidae, one only in each of two genera. They are small elongate fishes, growing up to long. They are bathypelagic (deep-water ocean-dwellers) and have been found down to . They are found in all oceans. ''Cyema atrum'' is black, while ''Neocyema erythrosoma'' is bright red.Fitch, JE, Lavenberg RJ. Deep-Water Fishes of California, University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California, Library of Congress number 68-64172, pp. 61-65, 1968 Sawtooth eels are a family, Serrivomeridae, of eels found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide. Sawtooth eels get their name from the saw-like arrangement of inward-slanting teeth attached to the vomer bone in the roof of the mouth. They are deep water

pelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral re ...

. There are eleven species of sawtooth eels in two genera: File:Common snipe fencepost.jpg, Snipe eels are so named because their jaws resemble the beak of the bird called the

File:Research Ship Sonne In Auckland I (crop).jpg, Most of what is known about snipe eels come from specimens caught by research vessels trawling at midwater depths. File:Serrivomer beanii.jpg, The sawtooth eel is so named because of the saw-like arrangement of its teeth.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q509685 * Fish of the Atlantic Ocean Fish of the Pacific Ocean Fish of the Indian Ocean