The morphology of pelican eel specimens can be hard to describe because they are so fragile that they become damaged when they are recovered from the deep sea's immense pressure. However, certain observation… See more

Pelican eels have developed adaptations and feeding patterns to help them survive in their low biomass environment. Recent studies have shown that pelican eels are active participants in their pursuit of food, rather than … See more

Not much is known about the reproductive habits of the pelican eel. Similar to other eels, when pelican eels are first born, they start in the leptocephalus stage, meaning that they are extremely thin and transparent… See more

The pelican eel has been found in the temperate and tropical areas of all oceans. In the North Atlantic, it seems to have a range in depth from 500 to 3,000 m (1,600 to 9,800 ft). One Canadian-arctic specimen was found i… See more

Because of the extreme depths at which it lives, most of what is known about the pelican eel comes from specimens that are inadvertently caught in deep sea fishing nets. Although once regarded as a purely deep-sea s… See more

In 2003, researchers from the University of Tokyo sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from specimens of Eurypharynx pelicanoides and Saccopharynx lavenbergi. After comparing the sequences from the specimens … See more