The Pelican EEL

The Pelican EEL

The pelican eel, Eurypharynx pelecanoides, is a deep-sea fish rarely seen by humans, though they are occasionally caught in fishing nets. It is an eel-like fish and the only known member of the genus Eurypharynx and the family Eurypharyngidae. It belongs to the order Saccopharyngiformes, which is closely related to the true eels in Anguilliformes. It is also sometimes referred to 

as the umbrella mouth gulper. The specific epithet pelecanoides refers to the pelican as the fish's large mouth is reminiscent of that of the bird.

The Pelican Eel occurs in midwaters of tropical and temperate seas worldwide. In Australian waters, this species is known from off north-western Western Australia, northern Queensland and New South Wales.