This rare footage of a gulper eel stretching its jaws is seriously freaky
Also known as a pelican eel, the creature was spotted at a depth of 1,425m in the Pacific Ocean.
Rare footage has been caught of a gulper eel stretching its vast jaws in the oceans depths.
Also known as a pelican eel due to its stretchable mouth, the fish was filmed 1,425 metres (4,675ft) below the surface by a remotely operated vehicle from the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET).
The OET said this specimen was probably a juvenile as adults can grow up to 3ft in length.
Also known as umbrella-mouths, these eels are rarely seen by humans as they occupy the depths more than 500 metres beneath the ocean’s surface and are sometimes found almost 3,000 metres deep.
The deep sea creature was spotted on the second dive of the trust’s Nautilus research vessel, which is exploring seamounts in the expanded boundaries of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
The site north-west of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world and the expedition is visiting seamounts that have never been mapped or seen by human eyes.
