# Gulper Eel (*Eurypharynx pelecanoides*)

> The gulper eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides) is a bathypelagic fish with a pelican-like expandable mouth and whip-thin tail. Adults reach 1 m and are Least Concern.

- **Category:** Fish
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Deep oceans worldwide.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/gulper-eel/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Actinopterygii
- **Order:** Saccopharyngiformes
- **Family:** Eurypharyngidae
- **Genus:** Eurypharynx

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Eurypharynx pelecanoides |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Habitat | Bathypelagic zone |
| Lifespan | 10–15 years |
| Weight | 0.5–1 kg |
| Top speed | up to 5 km/h |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Pelican mouth in the abyss

The head can balloon enormously to engulf squid and fish whole. A whip-like tail tip glows with photophores — possibly a lure. Body is black, fragile, and ribbon-thin.

## Squid and deep fish

Opportunistic gulps of whatever fits the expandable jaws. Metabolism is slow; meals may be infrequent in food-sparse depths.

## Global bathypelagic zone

Found roughly 500–3000 m deep in tropical and temperate oceans worldwide. Larvae look very different — transparent and ribbon-like near surface.

## Rarely seen, widely distributed

Least Concern despite few observations. Deep trawls and ROV footage confirm a broad range with no targeted harvest.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is it called a gulper eel?

Its huge loosely hinged jaws can open wide like a pelican pouch to swallow large prey.

### Is a gulper eel a true eel?

It is a deep-sea fish in its own family — eel-like but not a typical anguillid eel.

### What is the glowing tail tip?

A photophore at the tail end may lure prey close to the mouth in darkness.

### How deep do gulper eels live?

Mainly bathypelagic depths from about 500 m to nearly 3000 m.

### How big is a gulper eel mouth?

The head can expand to many times the body width when feeding.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/gulper-eel/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.