Conger
Encyclopedia
Conger is a genus
of marine congrid eels. 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 conger eel, Conger myriaster
, is an important food fish in East Asia. It is often served on sushi
.
"Conger" or "Conger eel" is sometimes included in the common names of species of the family Congridae
, including members of this genus.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of marine congrid eels. 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
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, 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
Leptocephalus
A leptocephalus is the flat and transparent larva of the eel, marine eels, and other members of the Superorder Elopomorpha. Fishes with a leptocephalus larva stage include the most familiar eels such as the conger, moray eel, and garden eel, and the freshwater eels of the family Anguillidae, plus...
larvae, the American conger eel has been found to spawn in the southwestern Sargasso Sea
Sargasso Sea
The Sargasso Sea is a region in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf Stream; on the north, by the North Atlantic Current; on the east, by the Canary Current; and on the south, by the North Atlantic Equatorial Current. This...
, close to the spawning areas of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
eels.
One species of conger eel, Conger myriaster
Conger myriaster
Whitespotted conger, Conger myriaster, is in the family of conger eel. Widespread in the Northwest Pacific near the coasts of Japan, Korean Peninsula, also in the East China Sea.Conger myriaster inhabit shallow sea bottom sand and mud. Conger myriaster is also consumed as food. Maximum total...
, is an important food fish in East Asia. It is often served on sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
.
"Conger" or "Conger eel" is sometimes included in the common names of species of the family Congridae
Congridae
Congridae is the family of conger and garden eels. Congers are valuable and often large food fishes, while garden eels live in colonies, all protruding from the sea floor after the manner of plants in a garden...
, including members of this genus.
Species
- Conger cinereus RüppellEduard RüppellWilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell was a German naturalist and explorer. Rüppell is occasionally transliterated to "Rueppell" for the English alphabet....
, 1830 (Longfin African conger) - Conger conger (Linnaeus, 1758) (European conger)
- Conger erebennus (D. S. JordanDavid Starr JordanDavid Starr Jordan, Ph.D., LL.D. was a leading eugenicist, ichthyologist, educator and peace activist. He was president of Indiana University and Stanford University.-Early life and education:...
& SnyderJohn Otterbein SnyderJohn Otterbein Snyder was an American zoologist.As a student he met David Starr Jordan who inspired him to enter zoology. He eventually became a zoology instructor at Stanford University and served there from 1899 until 1943. He went on several major collecting expeditions aboard the USS Albatross...
, 1901) - Conger esculentus Poey, 1861 (Grey conger)
- Conger japonicus BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1879 (Beach conger) - Conger macrocephalus Kanazawa, 1958
- Conger myriasterConger myriasterWhitespotted conger, Conger myriaster, is in the family of conger eel. Widespread in the Northwest Pacific near the coasts of Japan, Korean Peninsula, also in the East China Sea.Conger myriaster inhabit shallow sea bottom sand and mud. Conger myriaster is also consumed as food. Maximum total...
(Brevoort, 1856) (Whitespotted conger) - Conger oceanicus (Mitchill, 1818) (American conger)
- Conger oligoporus Kanazawa, 1958
- Conger orbignianus ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1842 (Argentine conger) - Conger philippinus Kanazawa, 1958
- Conger triporiceps Kanazawa, 1958 (Manytooth conger)
- Conger verreauxi KaupJohann Jakob KaupJohann Jakob Kaup was a German naturalist.-Biography:He was born at Darmstadt. After studying at Göttingen and Heidelberg he spent two years at Leiden, where his attention was specially devoted to the amphibians and fishes. He then returned to Darmstadt as an assistant in the grand ducal museum,...
, 1856 (Southern conger) - Conger wilsoni (BlochMarcus Elieser BlochMarcus Elieser Bloch was a German medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century.- Life :...
& J. G. SchneiderJohann Gottlob SchneiderJohann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider was a German classicist and naturalist.-Biography:Schneider was born at Collm in Saxony...
, 1801) (Cape conger)