Epinephelidae
Ribbon basslet
Liopropoma lemniscatum
FISH SPECIES
Long-bodied Fish
Explore fish with elongated, anguilliform or ribbon-like silhouettes, and learn how length changes locomotion and foraging.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDELong Bodied FishIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
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01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
Elongated body plans reduce hydrodynamic drag, allow passage through tight apertures, and feature reduced or absent pelvic fins combined with extensive multi-vertebral muscular flexing systems.
- 01Anguilliform wave propulsion
- 02Crevice & conduit navigation
- 03Reduced appendages & low drag
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
True eels swim via full-body anguilliform waves, sending lateral bends down their entire length to push against water, allowing them to reverse direction inside narrow subterranean burrows. Needlefish and pikes maintain a rigid elongated torso, keeping the body straight until their posterior fins and muscular caudal peduncle unleash sudden, explosive forward lunges.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Full-body anguilliform undulation
- Reverse movement inside burrows
- Rigid body ambush alignment
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
Ribbon basslet
Muraenidae
Ribbon eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita
Hemiramphidae
ribbon halfbeak
Euleptorhamphus viridis
Stomiidae
ribbon sawtailfish
Idiacanthus fasciola
Liparidae
ribbon snailfish
Liparis cyclopus
Syngnathidae
Ribboned pipefish
Haliichthys taeniophora
Trachipteridae
ribbonfish
Trachipterus trachypterus
Ophichthidae
rice-paddy eel
Pisodonophis boro
Myctophidae
Richardson's headlightfish
Diaphus richardsoni
Muraenidae
Richardson's moray
Gymnothorax richardsonii
Gobiidae
Rick’s dwarfgoby
Eviota richardi
Macrouridae
ridge scaled rattail
Macrourus carinatus
Moringuidae
ridged eel
Neoconger mucronatus
Cyprinidae
Riffle minnow
Phenacobius catostomus
Gobiidae
Rigilius goby
Istigobius rigilius
Syngnathidae
Ring-backed pipefish
Stipecampus cristatus
Paralepididae
Ringed barracudina
Notolepis annulata
Muraenidae
Ringed moray
Gymnothorax annulatus
Congridae
ringeye conger
Paraconger californiensis
Liparidae
ringtail snailfish
Liparis rutteri
Cichlidae
Rio Negro Checkerboard Cichlid
Dicrossus foirni
Engraulidae
Rio Negro pygmy anchovy
Amazonsprattus scintilla
Clinidae
rippled klipfish
Pavoclinus laurentii
Doradidae
Ripsaw catfish
Oxydoras niger
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
Why do eels and morays lack pelvic fins?
Pelvic fins create hydrodynamic drag and easily catch on obstructions when navigating tight crevices, burrows and rock cracks. Over evolutionary time, appendages were reduced or lost in favor of continuous median fins.
How do elongated fish like gar and needlefish hunt?
Rather than undulate their whole bodies, they hold their long torsos completely straight to resemble floating sticks or debris, then unleash rapid lateral head snaps or tail bursts to impale unsuspecting prey on their toothed jaws.