| Family: |
Synaphobranchidae (Cutthroat eels), subfamily: Simenchelyinae |
| Max. size: |
61 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 100 - 3000 m |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Atlantic: France to Madeira and the Azores, one specimen near Cape Verde, also off South Africa. Western Atlantic: USA. Western Pacific: off Japan, near Wake Island, Australia (Ref. 7300) and off New Zealand. |
| Diagnosis: |
Grey to greyish brown in color, darker on fin edges and along lateral line (Ref. 3973). Body with scales in grouped, right-angle basketweave pattern. Thick head, blunt, cylindrical. Small mouth, gape falling well short of the orbit; strongly plicate lips around the slit-like mouth; hyomandibula canted anteriorly. Broadly separate gill slits. Reduced cephalic lateralis system (Ref. 26895). |
| Biology: |
Found on the continental slope and upper abyssal depths. Feed on invertebrates (epibenthic copepods and amphipods) and fishes (Ref. 6726). Reported to be parasitic on fishes. Eggs are probably pelagic (Ref. 6726). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 04 February 2009 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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