Who Discovered the Gulper Eel?

The gulper eel was first named in 1882. Leon Valliant, a French zoologist, describes its discovery off the coast of Morocco during the Travailleur expedition. On this expedition, the gulper eel was dredged from the ocean at a depth of 2,300 m.

How did the gulper eel get its name?

Gulper eels get their name from their massive, gulping mouth. If you haven't seen it already, watch the video below from the E/V Nautilus when they spotted a gulper eel feeding off of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. It's like an eel was combined with a massive black balloon.

Why do gulper eels have big mouths?

The large mouth may be an adaptation to allow the eel to eat a wider variety of prey when food is scarce. It can also be used like a large net. The eel can swim into a large groups of shrimp or other crustaceans with its mouth wide open, scooping them up as it goes.