Overview
The gulper eel, also called the pelican eel, is famous for its enormous mouth. Its loose, stretchy jaws open into a huge pouch that looks far too big for its skinny, whip-like body. When it is not eating, that giant mouth folds down small and tidy.
This strange animal drifts in the open deep sea, far from the bottom, where meals are few and far between. It has a slim tail that ends in a glowing tip, which it may use as a fishing lure to bring curious prey close.
| Where it lives | Open deep ocean water far from the seafloor |
| Range | Deep oceans worldwide, mostly in tropical and mild zones |
| Adult size | About 2 to 2.5 ft (60 to 75 cm) long |
| Diet | Small fish, shrimp, squid, and other tiny animals |
| Lifespan | Not well known |
| Depth or habitat | About 3,000 to 9,800 ft (900 to 3,000 m) down |
| Keep at home? | No, it lives in the crushing deep sea |
Its weirdest feature
The gulper eel's mouth is its whole claim to fame. The lower jaw is loosely hinged and can open incredibly wide, ballooning out like a pelican's throat pouch so the eel can gulp prey much larger than its own head.
Surviving the dark deep
Food is rare in the open deep sea, so the gulper eel is built to grab whatever it can whenever it can. Its huge stretchy mouth means it never has to pass up a big meal just because the prey seems too large.
How it hunts
The tip of its long thin tail can glow with a pinkish-red light. Scientists think the gulper eel dangles this living lantern to lure small fish and shrimp close, then opens its giant mouth to scoop them up.
Life in the deep sea
It lives thousands of feet down in cold, black, high-pressure water with no sunlight at all. Its body is soft and light, with weak muscles and thin bones, because it drifts and waits far more than it swims hard.
An amazing fact
A gulper eel caught on video near a deep-sea camera stunned scientists by inflating its whole front end into a giant balloon, then slowly deflating back to its normal skinny shape.
Fun facts
- Its mouth can open like a pelican's pouch to swallow big prey.
- The tip of its long tail can glow to attract prey.
- Its body is mostly mouth and a thin whip-like tail.
- It lives in open water thousands of feet down.
- It is also known as the pelican eel.
Frequently asked questions
Why is its mouth so big?
Food is rare in the deep sea, so a huge mouth lets the gulper eel swallow prey much bigger than its head whenever it gets the chance.
Does the gulper eel really glow?
Yes, the tip of its tail can make a pinkish-red light, which it may use like a lure to draw small animals closer.
How big does it get?
It grows to about 2 to 2.5 ft (60 to 75 cm) long, and a lot of that length is its thin tail.
Can it be kept in a tank?
No. It lives in the cold, crushing deep sea and cannot survive at the surface.
