Black swallower (Chiasmodus niger) is a small eel like fish that it is less than 5 inches long. However, this 5 inch fish is capable of eating a 10 inch fish.

Swallowers (Family Saccopharyngidae) are a curious family of scaleless fish that are found at depths below one mile in marine environments. Two unusual characteristics are present in the members of this family. The first is the loosely connected lower jar that appears like it will easily disconnect from the fish. The second unusual characteristic is the stomach that can extend to permit a swallower to swallow fish larger than itself! These fish have many spine like teeth.

Eels, Order Anguilliformes, includes mmostly marine animals with long narrow bodies. Most species have pectoral fins, but lack pelvic fins. Several species breed near Cuba and migrate to freshwater rivers worldwide to reach full size. There are about 450 species divided into about 20 different families.

Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are found in both fresh and marine waters.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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