Cape conger

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Cape conger
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Congridae
Genus: Conger
Species: C. wilsoni
Binomial name
Conger wilsoni
(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

The cape conger, Conger wilsoni, is a conger of the family Congridae, found around southern Australia and the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, at shallow depths in broken rocky reef areas. Length is up to 1 m.

The cape conger is very similar to the southern conger, but is considerably smaller and slimmer, and the dorsal fin origin is well behind the hind edge of the pectoral fin. Like all other conger eels the skin is smooth and scaleless.

They hide in caves and crevices during the day and hunt their prey of crabs, shrimps and small fish by night.

Cape conger eels are dark grey, paler on the belly, with narrow black edges on the dorsal and anal fins.

[edit] References

  • "Conger wilsoni". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
  • Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8