The Congridae are the family of conger and

garden eel The garden eels are the subfamily Heterocongrinae in the conger eel family Congridae. The majority of garden eels live in the Indo-Pacific, but species are also found in warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean (including the Caribbean) and East Paci ...

s. Congers are valuable and often large

food fish Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inges ...

es, while garden eels live in colonies, all protruding from the sea floor after the manner of plants in a garden (thus the name). The family includes over 180 species in 32 genera. The European conger, ''Conger conger'', is the largest of the family and of the

Anguilliformes Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult sta ...

order that includes it; it has been recorded at up to in length and weighing .British Conger Club
Congrids are found in tropical, subtropical and temperate seas around the world. Clear distinguishing features among congrids are few; they all lack scales, and most possess

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

s. They feed on crustaceans and small fish, and unlike some other eels, do not migrate to breed.

Genera

Family Congridae * Subfamily Bathymyrinae ** '' Ariosoma'' (27 species) ** '' Bathymyrus'' (three species) ** ''

Chiloconger ''Chiloconger'' is a genus of eels in the family Congridae. Species There are currently two recognized species in this genus: * '' Chiloconger dentatus'' (Garman Garman is a surname or first name. Notable people with the name include: Sports * ...

'' (two species) ** ''

Kenyaconger ''Kenyaconger heemstrai'' is a species of eel in the family Congridae. It is the only member of its genus. It is only found in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map ...

'' (one species) ** ''

Parabathymyrus ''Parabathymyrus'' is a genus of eels in the family Congridae. Species There are currently 6 recognized species in this genus: * ''Parabathymyrus brachyrhynchus'' ( Fowler, 1934) * ''Parabathymyrus fijiensis'' Karmovskaya, 2004 * ''Parabathymyr ...

'' (five species) ** '' Paraconger'' (seven species) * Subfamily Congrinae ** '' Acromycter'' (five species) ** '' Bassanago'' (four species) ** '' Bathycongrus'' (22 species) ** ''

Bathyuroconger ''Bathyuroconger'' is a genus of eels in the family Congridae. It currently contains the following species: * '' Bathyuroconger albus'' Smith, Ho, and Tashiro, 2018Smith, D. G., H.-C. Ho and F. Tashiro 2018. Eels of the genus ''Bathyuroconger'' ...

'' (two species) ** '' Blachea'' (two species) ** '' Castleichthys'' (one species) ** ''

Conger ''Conger'' ( ) is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 2 m (6 ft) or more in length, in the case of the European conger. Large congers have often been observed by divers during ...

'' (14 species) ** '' Congrhynchus'' (one species) ** '' Congriscus'' (three species) ** '' Congrosoma'' (one species) ** '' Diploconger'' (one species) ** ''

Gnathophis ''Gnathophis'' is a genus of marine congrid eels. Species There are currently 27 recognized species in this genus: * '' Gnathophis andriashevi'' Karmovskaya, 1990 * '' Gnathophis asanoi'' Karmovskaya, 2004 * '' Gnathophis bathytopos'' D. ...

'' (27 species) ** '' Japonoconger'' (three species) ** '' Lumiconger'' (one species) ** '' Macrocephenchelys'' (two species) ** '' Poeciloconger'' (one species) ** ''

Promyllantor ''Promyllantor'' is a genus of eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early la ...

'' (three species) ** '' Pseudophichthys'' (one species) ** '' Rhynchoconger'' (seven species) ** '' Scalanago'' (one species) ** ''

Uroconger ''Uroconger'' is a genus of eels in the family Congridae. It currently contains the following species: * '' Uroconger drachi'' ( Blache & Bauchot, 1976) * '' Uroconger erythraeus'' Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built ...

'' (four species) ** ''

Xenomystax ''Xenomystax'' is a genus of eels in the family Congridae. It currently contains the following species: * '' Xenomystax atrarius'' C. H. Gilbert, 1891 (Deepwater conger) * '' Xenomystax austrinus'' D. G. Smith & Kanazawa, 1989 * '' Xenomystax ...

'' (five species) * Subfamily Heterocongrinae (garden eels) ** '' Gorgasia'' (14 species) ** ''

Heteroconger ''Heteroconger'' is a genus of marine congrid eels. These small, slender garden eels live in groups where each individual has its own burrow. Usually, only the head and front half of the body is visible. The greatest species richness is in th ...

'' (21 species)

References

Marine fish families Eels Ray-finned fish families {{Anguilliformes-stub

Genera

See also

References