Hoplunnis megista Smith & Kanazawa, 1989
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Hoplunnis megista is an eel in the family Nettastomatidae (duckbill/witch eels). It was described by David G. Smith and Robert H. Kanazawa in 1989. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the western central Atlantic Ocean, including Nicaragua and Panama. It is known to dwell at a depth range of 366 to 421 meters (1,201 to 1,381 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 91.7 centimeters (36.1 in).
Wikipedia contributors, Hoplunnis megista; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T22:50:09.704480+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Hoplunnis megista Smith & Kanazawa, 1989
- Name authority
- Smith & Kanazawa, 1989
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Nettastomatidae
- Genus
- Hoplunnis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderAnguilliformes
- familyNettastomatidae Kaup, 1859
- genusHoplunnis Kaup, 1859
- speciesHoplunnis megista Smith & Kanazawa, 1989
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Hoplunnis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| spotted pike-congerHoplunnis tenuis Ginsburg, 1951 | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| blacktail pikecongerHoplunnis diomediana Goode & Bean, 1896 | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| freckled pikecongerHoplunnis macrura Ginsburg, 1951 | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| silver pikecongerHoplunnis pacifica Lane & Stewart, 1968 | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Hoplunnis punctata Regan, 1915 | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Hoplunnis schmidti Kaup, 1859 | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Hoplunnis sicarius (Garman, 1899) | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Hoplunnis similis Smith, 1989 | NettastomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Smith, D. G. (1989). [Various eel families]. In: E. B. Böhlke (Ed.). Memoirs of the Sears Foundation of Marine Research Mem. 1 (Pt 9). Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3MNFX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.