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Eelpout
 
 
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The eelpouts are the ray-finned fish family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Zoarcidae. As the common name suggests, they are somewhat eel
Eel

True eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 19 Family s, 110 genera and approximately 600 species. Most eels are predators....
-like in appearance, with elongate bodies, and the dorsal
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
 and anal fins continuous with the caudal fin. All of the approximately 220 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 are marine
Ocean

An ocean is a major body of Seawater, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a World Ocean that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas....
, mostly bottom-dwelling, some at great depths. They are sometimes called "fish doctor
Fish doctor

Fish doctor may refer to:*eelpout*fish medicine...
s" (not to be confused with the doctorfish or surgeon fishes).

They are traditionally placed in the "perciform" assemblage; in fact, the Zoarcoidei
Zoarcoidei

Zoarcoidei is a suborder of the Perciformes, the largest order of fish. The suborder includes the wolffishes, Pholidaes and eelpouts....
 seem to be specialized member of the Gasterosteiformes
Gasterosteiformes

Gasterosteiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the sticklebacks and relatives.In the Gasterosteiformes, the pelvis is never attached to the cleithra directly, and the supramaxillary, orbitosphenoid, and basisphenoid bones are absent....
-Scorpaeniformes
Scorpaeniformes

Scorpaeniformes is an order of Actinopterygii, but it has also been called the Scleroparei. Species in this order have recently been reclassified into the Perciformes....
 group of Acanthopterygii
Acanthopterygii

Acanthopterygii is the name of a superorder of fish in the class Actinopterygii. It includes the teleost bony fishes, with characteristic sharp bony rays....
.

The largest member of the family is the Ocean Pout
Ocean pout

The ocean pout is an eelpout in the family Zoarcidae. It is found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of New England and eastern Canada....
 (Zoarces americanus), which may reach 1.1 meter.






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Encyclopedia


The eelpouts are the ray-finned fish family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Zoarcidae. As the common name suggests, they are somewhat eel
Eel

True eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 19 Family s, 110 genera and approximately 600 species. Most eels are predators....
-like in appearance, with elongate bodies, and the dorsal
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
 and anal fins continuous with the caudal fin. All of the approximately 220 species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
 are marine
Ocean

An ocean is a major body of Seawater, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a World Ocean that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas....
, mostly bottom-dwelling, some at great depths. They are sometimes called "fish doctor
Fish doctor

Fish doctor may refer to:*eelpout*fish medicine...
s" (not to be confused with the doctorfish or surgeon fishes).

They are traditionally placed in the "perciform" assemblage; in fact, the Zoarcoidei
Zoarcoidei

Zoarcoidei is a suborder of the Perciformes, the largest order of fish. The suborder includes the wolffishes, Pholidaes and eelpouts....
 seem to be specialized member of the Gasterosteiformes
Gasterosteiformes

Gasterosteiformes is an order of ray-finned fishes that includes the sticklebacks and relatives.In the Gasterosteiformes, the pelvis is never attached to the cleithra directly, and the supramaxillary, orbitosphenoid, and basisphenoid bones are absent....
-Scorpaeniformes
Scorpaeniformes

Scorpaeniformes is an order of Actinopterygii, but it has also been called the Scleroparei. Species in this order have recently been reclassified into the Perciformes....
 group of Acanthopterygii
Acanthopterygii

Acanthopterygii is the name of a superorder of fish in the class Actinopterygii. It includes the teleost bony fishes, with characteristic sharp bony rays....
.

The largest member of the family is the Ocean Pout
Ocean pout

The ocean pout is an eelpout in the family Zoarcidae. It is found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of New England and eastern Canada....
 (Zoarces americanus), which may reach 1.1 meter. Other notable family members include the slipskins (Lycodapus) and unernaks (Gymnelus).

Genera and selected species


Footnotes