Ingolf Duckbill Eel, Nessorhamphus ingolfianus (Schmidt, 1912)

Introduction

The Ingolf Duckbill Eel has a long slender body that lacks scales. In Australia it is known from the Tasman Sea off New South Wales.

Identification

The Ingolf Duckbill Eel has a long slender body that lacks scales. It has a long snout with a spatulate tip that extends well beyond the lower jaw. The dorsal and anal fins join with the caudal fin. The gill opening is a small slit in front of and below the pectoral fin base.

The species is named after the Danish ship Ingolf.

Distribution

It is a rarely seen mesopelagic species that occurs in temperate marine waters worldwide. In Australia it is known from the Tasman Sea off New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

References

1. Robins, C.H. 1989. Derichthyidae in Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Part 9 Volume 1: Orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes. Sears Foundation for Marine Research, Yale University. Pp. 655.
2. Smith, D.G. 1999. Derichthyidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (Eds). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 3. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome. Pp. iii-vi, 1398-2068.