Saccopharynx
Encyclopedia
Saccopharynx is a genus
of deep sea
eel
-like fishes with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long scaleless bodies. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae. The name is from Latin
saccus meaning "sack" and Greek
φάρυγξ, pharynx
.
Like other saccopharyngiforms, fishes in this genus are known as gulpers or gulper eels.
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 feet). Their tails are tipped by a luminous bulb-shaped organ. The exact purpose of this organ is unknown, though it is unlikely it is used as a lure.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of deep sea
Deep sea
The deep sea, or deep layer, is the lowest layer in the ocean, existing below the thermocline and above the seabed, at a depth of 1000 fathoms or more. Little or no light penetrates this part of the ocean and most of the organisms that live there rely for subsistence on falling organic matter...
eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
-like fishes with large mouths, distensible stomachs and long scaleless bodies. It is the only genus in the family Saccopharyngidae. The name is from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
saccus meaning "sack" and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
φάρυγξ, pharynx
Pharynx
The human pharynx is the part of the throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and anterior to the esophagus and larynx. The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections: the nasopharynx , the oropharynx , and the laryngopharynx...
.
Like other saccopharyngiforms, fishes in this genus are known as gulpers or gulper eels.
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 feet). Their tails are tipped by a luminous bulb-shaped organ. The exact purpose of this organ is unknown, though it is unlikely it is used as a lure.
Species
There are ten species:- Saccopharynx ampullaceus (Harwood, 1827) (Gulper eel)
- Saccopharynx berteli Tighe & Nielsen, 2000
- Saccopharynx harrisoni BeebeWilliam BeebeWilliam Beebe, born Charles William Beebe was an American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist, entomologist, explorer, and author...
, 1932 - Saccopharynx hjorti Bertin, 1938
- Saccopharynx lavenbergi Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx paucovertebratis Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx ramosus Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx schmidti Bertin, 1934 (Whiptail gulper)
- Saccopharynx thalassa Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985
- Saccopharynx trilobatus Nielsen & Bertelsen, 1985