The pelican eel is a deep-sea predator that uses a glowing tail to hunt

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Neither a bird nor a typical eel, this deep-sea inhabitant is named for its massive, scoop-like jaw. It lacks the athleticism of a traditional hunter, instead relying on a bioluminescent lure and a stomach that expands to accommodate prey, all while living in the crushing darkness of the deep ocean.

Living at depths between 500 and 3,000 meters, the pelican eel is an opportunistic feeder that has evolved to survive in a low-biomass environment. Its most striking feature is a disproportionately large mouth, which can inflate to capture prey like squid or swarms of shrimp. Because its teeth are tiny and insufficient for subduing large targets alone, the eel uses a dual-mode mechanism to unfold and stretch its jaw, creating a massive net to scoop up food.

The eel is not an active swimmer; it lacks scales, pelvic fins, and a swim bladder, instead drifting through the water with a whip-like tail. To compensate for its poor vision and lack of speed, it uses a specialized organ at the end of its tail that glows pink or red. This bioluminescent lure attracts prey toward the eel, though the distance between the lure and the mouth suggests the fish must adopt unusual postures to feed effectively.

Reproduction drives the pelican eel toward a singular, final act. Sexually mature males develop significantly larger olfactory organs to track females through the deep, but they pay a high price for this pursuit. As they focus their remaining energy on finding a mate, males lose their teeth and eventually die shortly after mating. This extreme biological investment underscores the harsh realities of life in the bathypelagic zone, where every calorie and movement must be carefully managed.

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