The eelpouts are the ray-finned fish family Zoarcidae. As the common name suggests, they are somewhat eel-like in appearance. All of the roughly 300 species are marine and mostly bottom-dwelling, some at great depths. Eelpouts are predominantly found in the Northern Hemisphere. The arctic, north pacific and north Atlantic oceans have the highest concentration of species, however species are found around the globe.
Aiakas is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae the eelpouts. These fishes are found in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.
Bothrocara is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, theeelpouts. They are found in the Pacific Ocean with one species reaching the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.
Ericandersonia is a monospecific genus belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. It’s only species is Ericandersonia sagamia, a deepwater fish in the family Zoarcidae. The genus and species were newly described in 2006. It was found in Sagami Bay, Japan, at depths of between 880 and 930 m. The genus name honours the South African based American ichthyologist M. Eric Anderson in recognition of his eelpout studies.
Lycenchelys is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution.
Gymnelinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. Most species are found in the North Pacific Ocean but one genus is cosmopolitan, and another is endemic to the Southern Ocean.
Andriashevia is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamiy Gymnelinae of the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts, its only species is Andriasheevia aptera. It is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, where it occurs off the Pacific coast of Japan. It appears to be a demersal fish which is associated with large red gorgonian corals, e.g. Paragorgia. Examinations of the stomach contents of collected specimens has shown that its diet is mainly crustaceans but it likely also feeds on encrusting invertebrates which it searches for among coral branches and the hard substrates they live in. This species attains a maximum published standard length of 19.3 cm (7.6 in). Unlike other species in the subfamily Gymnelinae, this taxon has no pectoral fins. The genus name honours the Soviet ichthyologist Anatoly Petrovich Andriashev for his work on fishes of the Russian Far East and especially eelpouts. The specific name, aptera means "without wings" and refers to the absence of pectoral fins.
Davidijordania is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The fishes in this genus are found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Nalbanichthys is a monospecific genus belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. It’s only species is Nalbanichthys elongatus which is found in the southern Bering Sea. The genus name honours the Romanian ichthyologist Theodor Nalbant who sent specimens to Leonard Peter Schultz for him to describe.
Lycodinae is a subfamily of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. These eelpouts are found are in all the world's oceans, with a number of species being found off southern South America.
Argentinolycus is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. Its only species is Argentinolycus elongatus which is found in coastal southern eastern South America.
Austrolycus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The two species in this genus are found in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the western South Atlantic Ocean off southern South America and the Falkland Islands.
Bellingshausenia is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. Its only species is Bellingshausenia olasoi which is only known from the Bellingshausen Sea in the Southern Ocean.
Bentartia is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. Some authorities treat this genus as monospecific, with the only species being Bentartia cinerea of the Southern Ocean, but other authorities include 4 species from the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Bothrocarina is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The two species in this genus are found in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Dieidolycus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The genus comprises three species which are found in the western central Pacific, southeastern Pacific and Southern Oceans.
Hadropogonichthys is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The only species in the genus is Hadropogonichthys lindbergi which is in the northwstern Pacific Ocean.
Iluocoetes is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The only species in the genus is Iluocoetes fimbriatus. This species is found off southern South America, off Chile and Argentina, in the southeastern Pacific and southwestern Atlantic Oceans.
Japonolycodes is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. The only species in the genus is Japonolycodes abei. This species is found Northwestern Pacific Ocean off Japan.
Letholycus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. This is a small genus with only two species found in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.
