Congridae

Conger and garden eels
Conger eel
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Congridae
Subfamilies
Bathymyrinae Congrinae Heterocongrinae

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 (thus the name).^[1] The family includes over 180 species in 32 genera.

The European conger Conger conger is the largest of the family; it has been recorded at up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length and weighing 350 pounds (160 kg).^[2]

Congrids are found in tropical, subtropical and temperate seas across the world. There are few clear distinguishing features among congrids, although they all lack scales, and most possess pectoral fins. They feed on crustaceans and small fish, and, unlike some other eels, do not migrate to breed.^[3]

Genera

Family Congridae

• Subfamily Bathymyrinae
  • Ariosoma (27 species)
  • Bathymyrus (3 species)
  • Chiloconger (2 species)
  • Parabathymyrus (5 species)
  • Paraconger (7 species)
• Subfamily Congrinae
  • Acromycter (5 species)
  • Bassanago (4 species)
  • Bathycongrus (22 species)
  • Bathyuroconger (2 species)
  • Blachea (2 species)
  • Castleichthys (1 species)
  • Conger (14 species)
  • Congrhynchus (1 species)
  • Congriscus (3 species)
  • Congrosoma (1 species)
  • Diploconger (1 species)
  • Gnathophis (27 species)
  • Japonoconger (3 species)
  • Kenyaconger (1 species)
  • Lumiconger (1 species)
  • Macrocephenchelys (2 species)
  • Poeciloconger (1 species)
  • Promyllantor (3 species)
  • Pseudophichthys (1 species)
  • Rhynchoconger (7 species)
  • Scalanago (1 species)
  • Uroconger (4 species)
  • Xenomystax (5 species)
• Subfamily Heterocongrinae (Garden Eels)
  • Gorgasia (14 species)
  • Heteroconger (21 species)

Gallery

• 

  A species of Garden Eel from the Shedd Aquarium.

• 

  Gorgasia barnesi garden eel patch in East Timor.

• 

  Garden Eels as seen at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

See also

• List of fish families

References

1. ^ McCosker, John F. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 88–89. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
2. ^ British Conger Club
3. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2008). "Congridae" in FishBase. December 2008 version.