pelican eel
eurypharynx pelecanoides latin

The pelican eel has been found in the temperate and tropical areas of all oceans.

The pelican eel's most notable feature is its large mouth, much larger than its body.

The pelican eel uses a whip-like tail for movement.

Most of the fish in this order are deep-sea types known from only a handful of specimens, such as the pelican eel.

Eurypharyngidae (pelican eel)

The pelican eel, Eurypharynx pelecanoides, is a deep-sea fish rarely seen by humans, though it is occasionally caught in fishing nets.

Pelican eels are also unusual in that the lateral line organ projects from the body, rather than being contained in a narrow groove; this may increase its sensitivity.

The fishes of the other four traditional orders of elopomorph fishes that have this type of larva are more diverse in their body forms and include the tarpon, bonefish, spiny eel, and pelican eel.

The pelican eel has also been described as Gastrostomus pacificus, Macropharynx longicaudatus, Gastrostomus bairdii, Eurypharynx richardi, and Leptocephalus pseudolatissimus; despite this, nobody has been able to demonstrate more than one species of pelican eel exists.