snipe

The avocet snipe eel lives far below any dive, in the open deep sea. It grows up to 80 cm long and is usually found between 1,200 and 2,000 m down, with records reaching 4,580 m. It has been found in most oceans, but not in the Mediterranean or the eastern Pacific.

Also known as: avocet snipe eel, blackline snipe eel, closespine snipe eel, snipe, snipe eel, spaced snipe eel, snipe eel, spaced snipe eel, closespine snipe eel, blackline snipe eel, closespine snipe eel

Other snipe eels share the same thin shape and drab brown body. Look at the front end: the pale jaws stand out clearly against the darker body, while the rest of the fish stays one even colour.

The body is plain dusky brown. The jaws, the pectoral fins on the sides of the chest, and the lower belly are paler than the rest. The dorsal fin along the back runs a long way and has hundreds of small rays, and the anal fin below is long as well. The tail fin is tiny and reduced to a thin point, and the pectoral fins are small. Males and females differ strongly in build.