Congridae


The Congridae are 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. The family includes over 220 species in 32 genera.
The European conger, Conger conger, is the largest of the family and of the Anguilliformes order that includes it; it has been recorded at up to in length and weighing.
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 fins. They feed on crustaceans and small fish.
The earliest known fossils of this group are otoliths from the Campanian of the United States. A number of articulated specimens are known from the Paleogene of Europe.

Genera

The Congridae is divided into the following subfamilies and genera:
  • Alaconger Schwarzhans, 2010
  • Bolcyrus Blot, 1978
  • Congrophichthus Schwarzhans & Stringer,2020
  • Voltaconger Blot, 1978'
  • Subfamily Bathymyrinae J. E. Böhlke, 1949
  • * Ariosoma Swainson, 1838
  • * Bathymyrus Alcock, 1889
  • * Chiloconger Myers & Wade, 1941
  • * Kenyaconger D. G. Smith & Karmovskaya, 2003
  • * Parabathymyrus Kamohara, 1938
  • * Paraconger Kanazawa, 1961
  • * Rostroconger D. G. Smith, 2015
  • * Paracongroides Blot, 1978
  • * Pavelichthys Bannikov & Fedotov, 1984
  • Subfamily Congrinae Kaup, 1856
  • * Acromycter D. G. Smith & Kanazawa, 1977
  • * Bassanago Whitley, 1938
  • * Bathycongrus Ogilby, 1898
  • * Bathyuroconger Fowler, 1934
  • * Blachea Karrer & D. G. Smith, 1980
  • * Castleichthys D. G. Smith, 2004
  • * Conger Bosc, 1817
  • * Congrhynchus Fowler, 1934
  • * Congriscus D. S. Jordan & C. L. Hubbs, 1925
  • * Congrosoma Garman, 1899
  • * Diploconger Kotthaus, 1968
  • * Gavialiceps Alcock, 1889
  • * Gnathophis Kaup, 1859
  • * Japonoconger Asano, 1958
  • * Lumiconger Castle & Paxton, 1984
  • * Macrocephenchelys Fowler, 1856
  • * Paruroconger Blache & Bauchot, 1976
  • * Promyllantor Allcock, 1890
  • * Pseudophichthys Roule, 1915
  • * Rhynchoconger D. S. Jordan & C. L. Hubbs, 1925
  • * Scalanago Whitley, 1935
  • * Smithconger Carnevale, Schwarzhans, Schrøder & Lindow, 2022
  • * Uroconger Kaup, 1856
  • * Xenomystax Gilbert, 1891
  • Subfamily Heterocongrinae Günther, 1870
  • * Gorgasia Meek & Hildebrand, 1923
  • * Heteroconger Bleeker, 1868