Gunnel

The gunnel is a fish that looks a great deal like an eel, with a long thin body, and a dorsal fin that is about two times as long as his anal fin.

The Gunnel is about three to ten inches long, but can grow to be as much as 18 inches long. Gunnels are grey to green in color, but may have other markings or colors on their bodies./

The thin gunnel is very abundant in the cooler waters of the Pacific. They will hide in rocks or crevices between rocks, or even underneath them to stay clear of predators.

Gunnels are relatives of the Wolf fish, but they are much smaller and lack some of the characteristics of the wolf fish.

The gunnel can come in a variety of colors, depending on their type. THe Rock Gunnel is a warm brown while the saddleback gunnel is a darker color but has markings much like a saddle on its back and takes its shelter in among kelp plants for cover.

Gunnels have a very long and well spined dorsal fin that runs the entire length of the body and if they have pelvic fins they are very small. About eight types of gunnels are found in the northern most aspects of the Atlantic and Pacific ocean.The Gunnel is also called the Rock eel, referring to its looking much like an eel, or the butterfish, which refers to the slipperiness of the fish when you attempt to catch it.

Gunnels are egg layers, meaning that they do not bear live young. Their eggs are deposited and left, and the young are not cared for by the mother.