? Longneck eels
Narrownecked Oceanic Eel, Derichthys serpentinus. From plate 49 of Oceanic Ichthyology by G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean, published 1896.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Anguilliformes Family: Derichthyidae
Genera
Derichthys Nessorhamphus See text for species.

Longneck eels or neck eels are a family, Derichthyidae, of eels. They are pelagic fishes, found in the middle and depths of most oceans. The name comes from Greek deres meaning "neck" and ichthys meaning "fish". Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subkingdom Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subkingdom Agnotozoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Subkingdom Metazoa Radiata Cnidaria Ctenophora - Comb jellies Bilateria Protostomia Acoelomorpha Platyhelminthes - Flatworms Nemertina - Ribbon worms Gastrotricha Gnathostomulida - Jawed worms Micrognathozoa Rotifera - Rotifers Acanthocephala Priapulida Kinorhyncha Loricifera Entoprocta Nematoda - Roundworms Nematomorpha - Horsehair worms Cycliophora Mollusca - Mollusks Sipuncula - Peanut worms Annelida - Segmented... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... The Anguilliformes (true eels) are an order of bony fishes. ... Suborders Anguilloidei Nemichthyoidei Congroidei Synaphobranchoidei See text for families. ... The pelagic zone is the part of the open sea or ocean comprising the water column, i. ...

There are three species in two genera:

• Genus Derichthys
  • Narrownecked Oceanic Eel, Derichthys serpentinus Gill, 1884.
• Genus Nessorhamphus
  • Nessorhamphus danae Schmidt, 1931.
  • Duckbill Oceanic Eel, Nessorhamphus ingolfianus (Schmidt, 1912).

In some classifications (for example, Systema Naturae 2000) this family is split in two, with Derichthyidae containing only the genus Derichthys, and Nessorhamphus being assigned its own family, Nessorhamphidae.

References

• "Derichthyidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.