family Nemichthyidae

Elongate midwater eels with jawsformed as a long, narrow beak with smallposteriorly directed teeth; ripe males(and probably also females) lack prolonged beak and teeth. Dorsal, caudal andanal fins confluent; dorsal fin originnear pectoral fin base; anus far in advance of midbody. Lateral line complete.

Oceanic fishes caught pelagicallybetween the surface and 2000 m. Seem tofeed exclusively on crustaceans. Oviparous; degenerative changes in ripe spe-cimens suggest than they spawn once anddie.