Conger

This article is about the genus of eel. For other uses, see Conger (disambiguation). For the Cuban music genre and ensemble, see Conga (music).
Conger
Temporal range: 55–0 Ma


Early Eocene to Present[1]

Conger oceanicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Congridae
Genus: Conger
Oken, 1817
Species

See text.

Conger (/ˈkɒŋɡər/ KONG-gər) is a genus of marine congrid eels.[2] It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 3 m (10 ft) in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during the day in parts of the Mediterranean Sea, and both European and American congers are sometimes caught by fishermen along the European and North American coasts.

The life histories of most conger eels are poorly known. Based on collections of their small leptocephalus larvae, the American conger eel has been found to spawn in the southwestern Sargasso Sea, close to the spawning areas of the Atlantic freshwater eels.

One species of the conger eel, Conger myriaster, is an important food fish in East Asia. It is often served as sushi.

"Conger" or "conger eel" is sometimes included in the common names of species of the family Congridae, including members of this genus.

Species

Behaviour

Congers are predators and can attack humans. In July, 2013, a diver was attacked by a conger eel in Killary Harbour, Ireland, at a depth of 25 metres (82 ft). The eel bit a large chunk from his face. The diver reported the creature was more than 6 feet (1.8 m) in length and "about the width of a human thigh".[3]

References

  1. skjeolks, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: 560. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  2. Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). Species of Conger in FishBase. June 2011 version.
  3. Dowling, Edna (13 July 2013). "Diver 'felt like a rag doll' in frenzied conger eel attack". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2013-07-13.

BOLDSystems: Genus Conger


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