Home · Congridae · Conger eel
Conger eel (Ariosoma anago) — Congridae

Conger eel

Ariosoma anago
Family: Congridae
DD · Data Deficient

The Conger eel (Ariosoma anago) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 60 cm.

Length
60 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
2.0–30.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The silvery conger is a conger eel (Congridae) from the northwestern Pacific, around Japan, Korea and China. The species reaches about 60 cm and has an elongate, silvery eel-like body with large eyes and a continuous fin margin. It inhabits shallow coastal waters with a sand or mud bottom, where it buries itself by day and hunts small fishes and crustaceans at night. Owing to its bottom-dwelling habits it is little noticed. Relatively little detailed information is available on the precise reproduction and lifespan of this species.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Conger eel?

The Conger eel has a snake-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Conger eel live?

The Conger eel lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Conger eel get?

The Conger eel grows to a maximum of about 60 cm. On average the species is around 40 cm.

Is the Conger eel dangerous to humans?

No, the Conger eel is harmless to humans.

Is the Conger eel edible?

The Conger eel is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Anago-conger sourced
English name
Conger eel verified
Scientific name
Ariosoma anago
Family
Congridae
Other names
Darkfin conger; Dark-finned conger-eel; Sea conger; Silvery conger verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
60.0 verified
Average length (cm)
40.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
2.0 verified
Max depth (m)
30.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Ariosoma

More from the family Congridae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →