Duckbill eel
The Duckbill eel refers to two species of deep-sea eels, known as the freckled pike-conger and the spotted pike-conger, which are characterized by their long, flat snouts resembling duck bills and their elongated tails. These eels inhabit ocean depths ranging from 180 to 1,390 feet (55 to 420 meters) and possess distinctive physical features that aid in their identification, including unique markings on their bodies—brown freckles for the freckled pike-conger and small black dots for the spotted variety. Both species have large mouths equipped with multiple rows of sharp teeth, suggesting they may prey on various marine organisms, although their exact diets remain uncertain.
Reproduction for these eels likely involves the female releasing numerous eggs into the water, which the male fertilizes, but specific details regarding their breeding habits are not well-documented. Once hatched, the larvae, known as leptocephali, resemble slender, clear willow leaves and undergo a metamorphosis into their adult form after a period that can last from one to two years. While these eels are fascinating creatures of the deep, they currently hold no commercial value and little is known about their predators or lifespan.
Subject Terms
Duckbill eel
These two eel species represent the family of eels which have long, flat snouts that look similar to the bills of ducks. They also have very long tails. These two pike-congers are deep-sea eels and live in waters ranging between 180 and 1,390 feet (55 to 420 meters) deep.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Nettastomatidae
Genus: Hoplunnis
Species: Macrurus (freckled pike-conger)
The freckled pike-conger and spotted pike-conger belong to a small family of eels, most of which live in deep waters. These two in particular swim at depths from 180 to 1,390 feet (55 to 420 meters).
The bodies of the freckled pike-conger and spotted pike- conger have long, flattened snouts that resemble slightly the bills of ducks. Inside their large mouths are two to three rows of large, sharp teeth. Their bodies appear to be very long, but in actuality, their bodies are short and taper into very long tails. The spotted pike-conger grows to measure a total length of 1 1/2 feet (45 centimeters), while the freckled pike-conger may reach a length of 20 inches (50 centimeters). Weights are not available for these two eels. The dorsal (back) fin on both eels begins near the head and pectoral fins and runs all the way down the back. It then meets the caudal (tail) fin, which loops around the tail end of the eel, and then joins the anal (rear) fin on the underside of the body and continues partway along the bottom side toward the head.
As their names suggest, these two eels have markings to help identify them. The silver body of the one pike-conger has brown freckles, while the silver body of the other pike-conger has a row of small black dots along each side of its body and several more on top of its head and snout.
The diets of these eels are not certain. Possibly, they eat crustaceans and other small organisms in the water like other species, or they may eat larger prey, since they have two or three rows of sharp, large teeth.
Predators of the pike-congers are not known, but since they are smaller eels in comparison to other species, they may fall prey to larger creatures of the deep. It does not appear that these two species have any commercial value to people.
Although the details of season and site are not known in these two species, reproduction is almost surely similar to that in other eels. Spawning occurs when the female releases a great number of eggs into the water, and the male then fertilizes them. The adults do not give any care to the eggs or the young once they hatch. The newly-hatched eels do not look much like eels, but rather like clear, slender willow leaves. They are called leptocephali. This stage of life is called a larval stage. The time which the leptocephali of these species live in this stage is not certain, but in others it is from one to two years. After this time, the leptocephali metamorphose, or change, into the adult form.
How long these two duckbill eels live is not known.