Gulper eel, Gulper, Taillight gulper, Pelican-fish
Saccopharynx ampullaceus, referred to as the gulper eel, gulper, taillight gulper or pelican-fish, is an ocean-dwelling eel found in the North Atlantic Ocean. They are found up to a depth of 3,000 m (9,800 ft). These fish are rarely observed, so little information is currently known about their habits or full distribution.
Like other saccopharyngiforms, these fish have large mouths and long, slender bodies with long tails that have a bioluminescent organ at the tip. The function of this organ is currently unknown.
Saccopharynx ampullaceus lacks a traditional gas-filled swim bladder, presumably due to the pressures at the depths they live in. Instead, the function of the swim bladder has been replaced by lymphatic spaces that run along the spine which are filled with a gelatinous substance. This gelatinous substance is thought to be maintained by the eel's aglomerular kidney.
