The viviparous eelpout (Zoarces viviparus), also known as the viviparous blenny and European eelpout is species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Zoarcidae, the eelpouts. It is notable for being ovoviviparous and gives birth to live larvae (hence the description "mother of eels"). It is a common soup ingredient in Mediterranean countries. The bones are of greenish colour, due to a harmless pigment. Their skin is slimy and the colour is variable.
Taxonomy
The viviparous eelpout was first formally described as Blennius viviparus by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae with its type locality given as "European seas". In 1829, the French zoologist Georges Cuvier proposed the genus Zoarces for the eelpouts and subsequently B, viviparus was designated as the type species of Zoarces, possibly by David Starr Jordan in 1917. The specific name viviparus means "giving birth to live young", although the species is ovoviviparous.
Description
The viviparous eelpout has a slim, tapering body and resembles a small burbot (Lota lota), a wide head and mouth and protuberant lips. It has long, ribbon-like dorsal and anal fins which continue on to unite with the arrowhead-shaped caudal fin. This distinguishes this fish from the two similar slim-bodied bottom-dwelling fish of the area, the rock gunnel (Pholis gunnellus) and the snake blenny (Ophidion barbatum). The bones are green. The tiny scales are embedded in the slimy skin. There dorsal fin becomes lower as it nears the caudal fin with these shorter rays being short and spinous. The colour is highly variable, although they are commonly greyish brown on the upper body and yellowish ventrally. They are marked with eithaer a single or double series of blotches along the body and on the dorsal fin. The pectoral fins have yellow or yellowish orange edges. This species reaches a maximum published total length of , although is more typical, and may weigh up to . eastwards onto the Baltic Sea and northwards through the North Sea and along the coast of Norway to the White Sea and the Barents Sea.
Utilisation
The viviparous eelpout is of minor commercial value to fisheries in some parts of its range.