DEEP-SEA BRISTLEMOUTH
(Cyclothone)

Although little is known about them, deep-sea bristlemouths are thought to be the most abundant saltwater fish on earth. They feed on small planktonic animals and have bristle-lined jaws to help them scoop up their prey. They have light-producing organs on their undersides that are visible from below.

DEEP-SEA HATCHETFISH
(Argyropelecus aculeatus)

About 50 years ago, when sound waves were first used to survey the seabed, scientists were puzzled by echoes that seemed to move up during the night and sink down during the day. These "deep scattering layers" turned out to be schools of deep-sea hatchetfish feeding by night on planktonic bodies, and their undersides have a sharp edge, like the blade of an ax. The fish communicate with one another using rows of lights, which give off a yellowish glow when seen from below. In turn, hatchetfish have tubular eyes that point up so they can see others swimming above them.

EUROPEAN EEL
(Anguilla Anguilla)

These eels spend most of their adult lives in fresh water where they feed on small animals. For many years, their life cycle was a mystery, but in 1920, a research expedition showed that the adults travel across the Atlantic Ocean to breed in the Saragasso Sea. The adults then die, leaving the tiny larvae to make their way back to Europe-a journey that takes three years. A similar eel lives in North America. Its journey from the Saragasso Sea takes only one year.

CONGER EEL
(Conger conger)

This eel's gray body is thicker than a man's arm. It lives in shallow water close to the shore, but during the day, it hides in rocky crevices and old wrecked ships, with only its head exposed. At night, it swims out of its lair to feed on fish, crabs, octopuses, and sometimes lobsters caught in fishermen's lobster traps. In summer, fully mature congers migrate to the open sea to breed.

MORAY EEL
(Muraena)

Brightly colored and highly agressive, moray eels spend most of their adult lives half-hidden in rocky lairs. They feed by grabbing fish that come within reach, using a swift, snakelike action, and sometimes bite divers' hands and feet. Moray bites can be dangerous because they easily become infected. There are more than 200 species of these eels, and they are most common in the tropics, particularly on coral reefs.

GULPER EEL
(Eurypharynx pelecanoides)

The gulper eel has a slender body and a huge mouth-fully open, it could swallow a football. Gulper eels live in the deep sea, and it is not known how they feed. They either trap fish by swimming with their mouths open or use light to lure them into their jaws.

SPINY EEL
(Macroganthus)

Unlike true eels, spiny eels have scales and underslung mouths. They also have a row of spines along their backs, which is how they got their name. These fish live on seabed mud in deep water and feed on slow-moving animals.

VIPERFISH
(Chauliodus sloani)

The viperfish got its name from the long fangs that stick out from its jaws, even when its mouth is closed. It has a slender, jet-black body and one of its fins has a long spine with a luminous tip. The fish probably uses this to lure other animals toward its mouth. Its stomach has an extra-dark lining that works like a curtain, preventing light from its swallowed prey being spotted by other hunters. This fish usually grows to be up to 12 inches long and can be found worldwide.

**All Facts and Information contained in this website can be found in the following reference materials: The Kingfisher Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia and The Complete Book of Animals from The American Education Publishers

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