Backfin tapirfish
Lipogenys gillii
- Usual depth1,119–1,582 m
- Water temperature11–22 °C
- Best monthsAugust
- How commonRare
About this species
Lipogenys gillii, the blackfin tapirfish, is a species of spiny eel in the family Notacanthidae, the only member of its genus. It is a benthic deep-sea fish occurring along the eastern coast of North America and in the southwestern Pacific near Australia at depths from 400 to 2,000 m.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Lipogenys”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 2 records
- February: 1 records
- March: 2 records
- April: 2 records
- May: 2 records
- June: 1 records
- July: 1 records
- August: 8 records
- September: 1 records
- October: 0 records
- November: 2 records
- December: 0 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 1,119–1,582 m · Deepest record: 1,711 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 11–22 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Backfin tapirfish, backfin tapirfish, blackfin tapirfish, spiny sucker eel
Names in 1 more languages
- Japanese
- Tanukisokogisu, タヌキソコギス
Other scientific names: Lipogenys gilli, Lipogenys plaxae
Similar species
Snubnosed spiny eelNotacanthus chemnitzii
- Abbott's spiny eel
Notacanthus abbotti
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 41 open-data records from 1887 to 2017.
- Species data updated November 4, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.