Duckbill eels

Duckbill eels
Venefica tentaculata
Systematics
Class : Ray fins (Actinopterygii) Subclass : Neuflosser (Neopterygii) Subclass : Real bony fish (Teleostei) Cohort : Elopomorpha Order : Eel-like (Anguilliformes) Family : Duckbill eels
Scientific name
Nettastomatidae
Bleeker , 1864

The duckbill eels (Nettastomatidae) (Greek, netta, nessa = duck, stoma = mouth) live in tropical and subtropical areas of the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian Ocean on muddy soil.

features

Duckbill eels grow to be eight to four feet long. They have 190 to 280 vertebrae and a very elongated shape. The head is long and narrow. The mouth is large and deeply split. The tongue has grown flat. The tail is long and pointed. In all species , except those of the genus Hoplunnis , adults do not have pectoral fins . Duckbill eels are likely to reproduce throughout the year. The larva of a species was described as Leptocephalus longirostris as a separate species.

Genera and species

Hoplunnis diomediana

Hoplunnis macrura

Nettastoma parviceps

Nettenchelys taylori

Head of Venefica proboscidea

• Genus Facciolella Whitley, 1938
  • Facciolella castlei Parin & Karmovskaya, 1985 .
  • Facciolella equatorialis (Gilbert, 1891) .
  • Facciolella gilbertii ( Garman , 1899) .
  • Facciolella karreri Klausewitz, 1995 .
  • Facciolella oxyrhyncha (Bellotti, 1883) .
  • Facciolella saurencheloides (D'Ancona, 1928) .
• Genus Hoplunnis Kaup, 1860
  • Hoplunnis diomediana Goode & Bean , 1896 .
  • Hoplunnis macrura Ginsburg, 1951 .
  • Hoplunnis megista Smith & Kanazawa, 1989 .
  • Hoplunnis pacifica Lane & Stewart, 1968 .
  • Hoplunnis punctata Regan , 1915 .
  • Hoplunnis schmidti Kaup , 1860 .
  • Hoplunnis sicarius (Garman, 1899) .
  • Hoplunnis similis Smith, 1989 .
  • Hoplunnis tenuis Ginsburg, 1951 .
• Genus Leptocephalus
  • Leptocephalus bellottii D'Ancona, 1928 .
• Genus Nettastoma Rafinesque, 1810
  • Nettastoma falcinaris Parin & Karmovskaya, 1985 .
  • Nettastoma melanurum Rafinesque , 1810 .
  • Nettastoma parviceps Günther , 1877 .
  • Nettastoma solitarium Castle & Smith, 1981 .
  • Nettastoma syntresis Smith & Böhlke, 1981 .
• Genus Nettenchelys Alcock, 1898
  • Nettenchelys dionisi Brito, 1989 .
  • Nettenchelys erroriensis Karmovskaya, 1994 .
  • Nettenchely's exoria Böhlke & Smith, 1981 .
  • Nettenchelys gephyra Castle & Smith, 1981 .
  • Nettenchelys inion Smith & Böhlke, 1981 .
  • Nettenchelys paxtoni Karmovskaya, 1999 .
  • Nettenchelys proxima Smith et al., 2015 .
  • Nettenchelys pygmaea Smith & Böhlke, 1981 .
  • Nettenchelys taylori Alcock , 1898 .
• Genus Saurenchelys Peters, 1864
  • Saurenchelys cancrivora Peters , 1864 .
  • Saurenchelys cognita Smith, 1989 .
  • Saurenchelys fierasfer ( Jordan & Snyder, 1901) .
  • Saurenchelys finitimus (Whitley, 1935) .
  • Saurenchelys gigas Lin et al., 2015 .
  • Saurenchelys lateromaculatus (D'Ancona, 1928) .
  • Saurenchelys meteori Klausewitz & Zajonz, 2000 .
  • Saurenchelys stylura (Lea, 1913) .
• Genus Venefica Jordan & Davis, 1891
  • Venefica multiporosa Karrer, 1982 .
  • Venefica ocella Garman , 1899 .
  • Venefica proboscidea ( Vaillant , 1888) .
  • Venefica procera ( Goode & Bean , 1883) .
  • Venefica tentaculata Garman, 1899 .

Duck-billed eels have been found fossil for the middle Eocene . They are said to be closest related to the genus Uroconger from the conger eel family (Congridae).

literature

• Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World. 4th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken NJ 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .

Web links

Commons : Duck bill eels (Nettastomatidae)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Duck bill eels on Fishbase.org (English)