Pelican Eel
Fast Facts
The pelican eel earns its name by having a giant pelican-sized mouth. The enormous mouth is much larger than the rest of its body. The mouth is loosely hinged, making it possible for the eel to swallow food much larger than itself. The food is deposited in a pouch-like lower jaw that resembles the pouch on a pelican. Its stomach can also stretch to accommodate a much larger meal. It has a long whip-like tail. The eel uses the tail for movement. At the tail's tip is a light-producing organ. It glows pink and gives off occasional red flashes. The eel's body is not built for chasing prey so it is believed it uses its tail tip as a fishing pole to lure in prey. When prey swims up close, the eel will lunge and snap it up in its gigantic mouth.
The pelican eel has tiny eyes. It is believed its eyes evolved to detect faint traces of light rather than form images. It also has tiny teeth, which makes it unlikely to eat larger fish. It mainly feeds on crustaceans like crab and shrimp. It can swim into large groups of shrimp with its mouth wide open and just scoop them up.
Fast Facts
- eats small crustaceans and squid
- size: 3 to 6 feet
- depth range: 500 to 6,000 feet
- Did you know? Due to its body shape, the pelican eel is bad at swimming. It relies on its lighted tail to lure in prey.
The pelican eel earns its name by having a giant pelican-sized mouth. The enormous mouth is much larger than the rest of its body. The mouth is loosely hinged, making it possible for the eel to swallow food much larger than itself. The food is deposited in a pouch-like lower jaw that resembles the pouch on a pelican. Its stomach can also stretch to accommodate a much larger meal. It has a long whip-like tail. The eel uses the tail for movement. At the tail's tip is a light-producing organ. It glows pink and gives off occasional red flashes. The eel's body is not built for chasing prey so it is believed it uses its tail tip as a fishing pole to lure in prey. When prey swims up close, the eel will lunge and snap it up in its gigantic mouth.
The pelican eel has tiny eyes. It is believed its eyes evolved to detect faint traces of light rather than form images. It also has tiny teeth, which makes it unlikely to eat larger fish. It mainly feeds on crustaceans like crab and shrimp. It can swim into large groups of shrimp with its mouth wide open and just scoop them up.
"Gulper Eel." Sea and Sky. Web. 29 Apr 2015. http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/gulper-eel.html