The E/V Nautilus explores unknown regions of the ocean seeking out new discoveries and recently came across one very unusual eel.
At first the Nautilus team declared the creature a “muppet” but when they got closer to the shapeshifting fish they realized they had spotted a gulper eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides) doing just that – gulping.
“Its pouch-like mouth can inflate in an instant, scooping up much larger prey just like a pelican – and giving it that muppet-like look! This gulper eel was likely a juvenile, as this species can grow up to three feet in length,” the scientists wrote in their YouTube video description.
This particular eel was spotted in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument – currently the largest marine conservation area in the world.
The footage just might be the first good video ever filmed of the gulper eel. Watch and marvel for yourself below.
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