Animal Species:Ingolf Duckbill Eel, Nessorhamphus ingolfianus (Schmidt, 1912)

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.

Ingolf Duckbill Eel, Nessorhamphus ingolfianus

Ingolf Duckbill Eel, Nessorhamphus ingolfianus
Robin McPhee © NORFANZ Founding Parties

Alternative Name/s

Duckbilled Eel

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.

Size range

The species grows to about 60 cm in length.

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.

Nessorhamphus ingolfianus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Ingolf Duckbill Eel specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Classification

Species:
ingolfianus
Genus:
Nessorhamphus
Family:
Derichthyidae
Order:
Anguilliformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

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.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Ingolf Duckbill Eel, Nessorhamphus ingolfianus, Derichthyidae, Duckbilled Eel, eel, long and skinny, lacks scales, spatulate tip, 30 cm - 1 m, rarely seen, temperate water, marine, Tasman Sea,