  the eelpouts are the ray-finned fish family zoarcidae. as the common name suggests, they are somewhat eel-like in appearance, with elongated bodies and the dorsal and anal fins continuous with the caudal fin. all of the roughly 220 species are marine and mostly bottom-dwelling, some at great depths. they are conventionally placed in the "perciform" assemblage; in fact, the zoarcoidei seem to be specialized members of the gasterosteiformes-scorpaeniformes group of acanthopterygii.kawahara, r., et al. (2008). interrelationships of the 11 gasterosteiform families (sticklebacks, pipefishes, and their relatives): a new perspective based on whole mitogenome sequences from 75 higher teleosts. molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 46(1), 224-36.  (html abstract) the largest member of the family is the ocean pout (zoarces americanus), which may reach 1.1 m in length. other notable family members include the slipskins (lycodapus) and unernaks (gymnelus). ==popular culture== the eelpout festival that takes place in february in walker, minnesota, in the united states, celebrates the burbot, which is actually a cod-like fish misleadingly known locally as the eelpout.bowen, s. mardi gras on ice. cnn money. december 28, 2009.   ==genera and selected species==      * aiakas (two species) * allolepsis * andriashevia * austrolycus * bellingshausenia matallanas, 2009 ** bellingshausenia olasoi matallanas, 2009 * bentartia matallanas, 2010{{cite journal| url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/t234r08x66462347/| title=description of two new genera, santelmoa and bentartia and two new species of zoarcidae (teleostei, perc
Zoarcidae Zoarcoidei