Chlopsidae
collared eel
Kaupichthys nuchalis
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.
collared eel
Epinephelidae
Collette's basslet
Liopropoma collettei
Blenniidae
Collette's coralblenny
Ecsenius collettei
Gobiidae
colon goby
Coryphopterus dicrus
Cyprinidae
Colorado Pikeminnow
Ptychocheilus lucius
Channidae
Colored snakehead
Channa pulchra
Gobiidae
Comb goby
Paratrypauchen microcephalus
Blenniidae
Comical blenny
Ecsenius opsifrontalis
Ariidae
Cominate sea catfish
Occidentarius platypogon
Gobiidae
Commafin goby
Caffrogobius saldanha
Engraulidae
Commerson's anchovy
Stolephorus commersonnii
Stomiidae
Common dragonfish
Eustomias vulgaris
Chlopsidae
Common false moray
Kaupichthys diodontus
Gobiidae
Common ghost goby
Pleurosicya mossambica
Gobiidae
common goby
Pomatoschistus microps
Engraulidae
Common hairfin anchovy
Setipinna tenuifilis
Hemiramphidae
common halfbeak
Hyporhamphus unifasciatus
Synodontidae
common lizardfish
Synodus variegatus
Muraenesocidae
common pike conger
Muraenesox bagio
Pristidae
common sawfish
Pristis pristis
Pristiophoridae
Common sawshark
Pristiophorus cirratus
Gobiesocidae
Common shore-eel
Alabes dorsalis
Tripterygiidae
Common triplefin
Forsterygion lapillum
Clinidae
Common weedfish
Heteroclinus perspicillatus
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.