New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🌡️ Deep-water

Small-eyed abyssal eel

Haptenchelys parviocularis Tashiro & Shinohara, 2014
Max Length
83.3 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4.3
Depth
2830–4866 m
Climate
Deep-water
Resilience
-
Vulnerability
51.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
deep-water

📖 Overview

Small-eyed abyssal eel (Haptenchelys parviocularis) is a ray-finned fish of the family Synaphobranchidae. It inhabits marine (saltwater) waters in deep-water environments. This species can reach a maximum total length of 83.3 cm. It occurs at depths between 2830 and 4866 metres. With a trophic level of 4.3, it is an apex predator. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Scientific Name
Haptenchelys parviocularis
Authority
Tashiro & Shinohara, 2014
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Deep-water
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
83.3 cm
Depth Range
2830–4866 m
Trophic Level
4.3
Vulnerability
51.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Vertebrae: 127 - 137. This species is distinguished from its congener H. texis (shown in parentheses), by the following set of characters: total vertebrae 127-137 (vs. 123-133), caudal vertebrae 90-98 (vs. 87-94); snout short, its length 42.5-53.1% UJL (vs. 53.3-63.6 %); eye is much smaller than gill-slit aperture, diameter 37.5-59.4% gill-slit length and 11.8-16.9% UJL (vs. nearly equal to or larger, 84.4-157.6% gill-slit length and 18.4-25.1% UJL); eye positioned closer to middle of the mouth gape, postorbital length-to gape 23.5-32.5% HL and 40.5-50.9% UJL (vs. closer to posterior end of gape, 11.5-18.2% HL and 19.3-31.4% UJL); gill-slit aperture is wide, length 15.8-22.1% HL and 24.8-35.7% UJL (vs. 9.0-14.1% HL and 15.1-24.1% UJL), orientation oblique to body axis (vs. horizontal) .Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Small-eyed abyssal eel is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 2830 - 4866 m . Deep-water Northwest Pacific: Japan.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌑 Deep Water
Trophic Level
4.3±0.5

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00071 × L3.12 (TL)
Max TL
83.3cm
Vertebrae
132

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2019

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Fishing Vulnerability
51.00/100
Moderate-High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.3
Apex / Top predator
Climate Zone
Deep-water
Described By
Tashiro & Shinohara, 2014

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Small-eyed abyssal eel ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.