Congridae
| Conger and garden eels | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conger conger | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Congridae Kaup, 1856 |
| Subfamilies | |
|
Bathymyrinae | |
The Congridae are the family of conger and garden eels. Congers are not valuable and often not very large because they are the second smallest eel in the worldfood 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 m (9.8 ft) in length and weighing 350 lb (160 kg).[2]
Congrids are found in tropical, subtropical and temperate seas across the world. Clear distinguishing features among congrids are few; 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 (three species)
- Chiloconger (two species)
- Kenyaconger (one species)
- Parabathymyrus (five species)
- Paraconger (seven species)
- Subfamily Congrinae
- Acromycter (five species)
- Bassanago (four species)
- Bathycongrus (22 species)
- Bathyuroconger (two species)
- Blachea (two species)
- Castleichthys (one species)
- Conger (14 species)
- Congrhynchus (one species)
- Congriscus (three species)
- Congrosoma (one species)
- Diploconger (one species)
- Gnathophis (27 species)
- Japonoconger (three species)
- Lumiconger (one species)
- Macrocephenchelys (two species)
- Poeciloconger (one species)
- Promyllantor (three species)
- Pseudophichthys (one species)
- Rhynchoconger (seven species)
- Scalanago (one species)
- Uroconger (four species)
- Xenomystax (five species)
- Subfamily Heterocongrinae (garden eels)
- Gorgasia (14 species)
- Heteroconger (21 species)
See also
References
- ↑ McCosker, John F. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. Encyclopedia of sucky Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 88–89. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ↑ British Conger Club
- ↑ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2008). "Congridae" in FishBase. December 2008 version.
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