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Blackbelly conger (Gnathophis melanocoelus) — Congridae

Blackbelly conger

Gnathophis melanocoelus
Family: Congridae

The Blackbelly conger (Gnathophis melanocoelus) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 24 cm.

Length
23.8 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0–156.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Blackbelly conger is a conger eel (Congridae) from deeper sand and mud water around Australia and the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 40 cm and has a smooth, snake-like, grey-brown body with confluent dorsal, tail and anal fins. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it shelters in burrows and crevices or buried in sediment by day and hunts small fish, crustaceans and worms at night. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blackbelly conger?

The Blackbelly conger has a snake-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Blackbelly conger live?

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

How big does the Blackbelly conger get?

The Blackbelly conger grows to a maximum of about 24 cm.

Is the Blackbelly conger dangerous to humans?

No, the Blackbelly conger is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Zwartbuik-tuinaal sourced
English name
Blackbelly conger sourced
Scientific name
Gnathophis melanocoelus
Family
Congridae
Other names
Blackgut conger sourced

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
23.8 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Max depth (m)
156.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

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 verified

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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