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Little conger eel (Gnathophis habenatus) — Congridae

Little conger eel

Gnathophis habenatus
Family: Congridae
NE · Not Evaluated

The Little conger eel (Gnathophis habenatus) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 43 cm.

Length
43 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–130.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The silver conger is a conger eel from the southwest Pacific, around New Zealand and Australia. The species grows to about 43 cm and has a snake-like, scaleless body with large eyes and strong teeth. As a bottom-dweller it lives on sand and mud bottoms of the continental shelf to about 130 metres depth, where it often buries itself. It hunts small fish and crustaceans. The fish is harmless to humans and has little commercial value. The IUCN has not evaluated the species.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Little conger eel?

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

Where does the Little conger eel live?

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

How big does the Little conger eel get?

The Little conger eel grows to a maximum of about 43 cm.

Is the Little conger eel dangerous to humans?

No, the Little conger eel is harmless to humans.

Is the Little conger eel edible?

The Little conger eel is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Slanke congeraal verified
English name
Little conger eel verified
Scientific name
Gnathophis habenatus
Family
Congridae
Other names
Silver conger; Strap conger verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Not 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 Gnathophis

More from the family Congridae

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