Nettastomatidae

Nettastomatidae, the duckbill eels or witch eels are a family of eels. The name is from νῆττα (Greek: duck) and στόμα (Greek: mouth).

Nettastomatidae
Venefica tentaculata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Suborder: Congroidei
Family: Nettastomatidae
Genera

Facciolella
Hoplunnis
Leptocephalus
Nettastoma
Nettenchelys
Saurenchelys
Venefica

Duckbill eel from 2017 NOAA Okeanos expedition at a depth of 2,600m (8530ft)

Duckbill eels are found along the continental slopes of tropical and temperate oceans worldwide. They are bottom-dwelling fish, feeding on invertebrates and smaller fish.[1] They are slender eels, up to 125 centimetres (4.10 ft) in length, with narrow heads and large, toothy, mouths. Most species lack pectoral fins.

Species

About 40 species are placed in seven genera:

References

  1. McCosker, John F. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 90. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.