Kingdom Animalia Family Nemichthyidae Genus Serrivomer Order Eel | Class Actinopterygii Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
Similar Sawtooth eel, Eel, Kaup's arrowtooth eel, Bluntsnout smooth‑head, Avocet snipe eel |
The Bean's sawtooth eel (Serrivomer beanii, also known commonly as the longfin sawpalate, the saw-tooth snipe eel, the sawtooth eel, the shortnosed snipe eel, and the stout sawpalate) is an eel in the family Nemichthyidae (snipe eels). It was described by Theodore Gill and John Adam Ryder in 1883. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from throughout the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Western Pacific Ocean, including Iceland, South Africa (the Cape and Natal), Réunion, and Australia. It dwells at a depth range of 0-5998 metres, and leads a solitary lifestyle. It migrates vertically at night. Males can reach a maximum total length of 78 centimetres.
The species epithet "beanii" was given in honour of American ichthyologist Tarleton Hoffman Bean. The Bean's sawtooth eel feeds primarily on benthic crustaceans including shrimps, and finfish. It is preyed upon by the Warty oreo (Allocyttus verrucosus). It is of no commercial interest to fisheries.