Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Synaphobranchidae (Cutthroat eels) > Synaphobranchinae
Etymology: Histiobranchus: Greek, istion, istos = sail + Greek, brangchia = gill (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 295 - 5440 m (Ref. 50610), usually ? - 2420 m (Ref. 31334). Deep-water; 1°C - 6°C (Ref. 26895); 70°N - 56°S, 180°W - 180°E
North Atlantic and North Pacific. Also in Durban, South Africa and Indo-Pacific (Ref. 3973).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 35.0, range 30 - 40 cm
Max length : 137 cm male/unsexed; (Ref. 31334); max. published weight: 0.00 g
Dorsal soft rays (total): 312 - 354; Anal soft rays: 199 - 245; Vertebrae: 131 - 140. Dorsal fin rays anterior to anus 98-139; precaudal vertebrae 65-72 (usually 68-69); lateral line pores before anus 50-56 (Ref. 31334). Plain brown to black in color (Ref. 3973). Pectorals small (Ref. 31334).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.
Found on the continental slope and abyssal plain. Feeds on fishes, crustaceans, and squid (Ref. 31334).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Karmovskaya, E.S. and N.R. Merrett, 1998. Taxonomy of the deep-sea eel genus, Histiobranchus (Synaphobranchidae, Anguilliformes), with notes on the ecology of H. bathybius in the eastern North Atlantic. J. Fish Biol. 53(5):1015-1037. (Ref. 31334)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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