The pelican eel, or umbrellamouth gulper, receives both its two common names and its scientific name ("wide-gullet") from its enormous, pouchlike cavity in its lower jaw.  Found over 6500 feet below the surface of the ocean, it grows to about two feet long and has tiny, forward-set eyes adapted to find prey in the darkness. Despite its appearance, however, the pelican eel is very weak and does not atack or even swallow its prey.  Rather, it simply encloses the prey (usually small fishes and crustaceans) inside its mouth, probably using water pressure to force its expandable, loosely hinged jaws open.

The pelican eel is black-colored for invisibility down below, but has a luminescent lure on the tip of its long, whippy tail.  The exact use of this lure is unclear, however, as the tip of its tail is so far away from its mouth.

There is only one species of Eurypharynx, but there are other species of "gulpers."  Probably the most impressive is Saccopharynx harrisoni, the "black swallower."  Saccopharynx grow up to six feet long and have a full set of teeth, which the pelican eel lacks.

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