Fish
Snipe Eel
Nemichthyidae · also called snipe eels
Drifting through the deep sea with jaws so curved they can never fully close, a snipe eel snags shrimp by their antennae using tiny backward-hooked teeth, a feeding method closer to natural velcro than a typical bite.
Overview
The snipe eel, family Nemichthyidae, is an extremely elongated deep-sea predator native to tropical and temperate ocean waters worldwide. Its permanently curved, non-closing jaws, specialised prey-snagging teeth, and unusual tail-regeneration ability make it one of the most anatomically unusual eel families found anywhere in the deep ocean.
A mouth shaped around one very specific meal
Rather than a jaw built for a general diet, the snipe eel’s curved, gaping mouth and backward-hooked teeth are finely tuned to one task: snagging the thin antennae and legs of shrimp, a specialisation that shapes nearly everything else about its unusual anatomy.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across deep ocean habitat worldwide and not targeted by fisheries.
Snipe Eel: common questions
Why can the snipe eel not close its mouth?
This family has long, thin jaws that curve away from each other, a shape that prevents the mouth from fully closing even at rest, an adaptation suited to its unusual feeding strategy.
How does the snipe eel catch shrimp with a mouth that cannot close?
This family has tiny, backward-curving teeth lining its jaws, adapted to snag and hold onto the thin antennae and legs of shrimp much like a strip of natural velcro, rather than gripping and swallowing whole prey.
Can the snipe eel regrow parts of its body?
Yes, this family is capable of regenerating part of its long tail if it is lost, an unusual ability among fish that may help it survive attacks from predators targeting its extremely elongated body.
How long is the snipe eel's body compared to other fish?
This family has an extremely elongated, thin body, among the most slender body shapes found in any fish family, well suited to its slow, drifting lifestyle in the deep sea.