The Muraenesocidae, or pike congers, are a small family of marine eels found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Some species are known to enter brackish water.
Congresox is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Muraenesocidae, the pike congers. The fishes in this genus are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
The African longfin eel, also known simply as the longfin eel, is an eel in the family Anguillidae. It was described by Wilhelm Peters in 1852, originally under the genus Muraena. It is a tropical eel known from freshwaters in southern Kenya, Cape Agulhas, Madagascar, and New Caledonia. The eels spend most of their lives in freshwaters far inland, but migrate to the Western Indian Ocean to breed. Males can reach a maximum total length of 150 centimetres; females can reach a maximum standard length of 120 centimetres and a maximum weight of 5,000 grams. The eels can live for about 20 years. Juveniles and adults are known to feed off of carcasses, crabs, and bony fish.
The lesser thrush eel, also known as the common worm eel and the spaghetti eel, is an eel in the family Moringuidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from East Africa, Samoa, the Ryukyu Islands, and the southern Great Barrier Reef. It typically dwells at a depth range of 3–20 m, with juveniles inhabiting estuaries and rivers, adult females leading a benthic lifestyle in shallow oceanic waters, and adult males living in the pelagic zone. Adults breed offshore. Males can reach a maximum total length of 47 cm.
The sea conger, also known as the big-eye conger, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853, originally under the genus Conger. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan; the eastern China Sea, and the East Indies. It leads a benthic lifestyle and dwells in sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 51 centimeters.
The neighbor conger is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Samuel Garman in 1899, originally under the genus Uroconger. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel that is known from the southwestern and western central Atlantic Ocean, including the Bahamas, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico. It dwells at a depth range of 101–503 metres (331–1,650 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 46.2 centimetres (18.2 in).
The grey conger, also known as the Antillean conger or simply the conger eel, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Felipe Poey in 1861. It is a tropical and subtropical, marine eel which is known from the western central Atlantic Ocean, including Cuba, Jamaica, and throughout northern South America. It dwells at a depth range of 120–400 metres, and leads a benthic lifestyle, inhabiting coral reefs and rocky regions. Males can reach a maximum total length of 160 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of 90 centimetres.
Gnathophis heterognathos is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1858, originally under the genus Myrophis. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including the southwestern Japanese Archipelago, the Philippines, and the South China Sea. It dwells at a depth range of 183–199 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 41.5 centimetres.
Gnathophis mystax, the thinlip conger or blacktailed conger, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by François Étienne Delaroche in 1809, originally under the genus Muraena. It is a subtropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including southern Portugal, the Mediterranean, and Morocco. It dwells at a depth range of 75–800 metres, and inhabits mud and sand on the continental slope. Males can reach a maximum total length of 60 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of 35 centimetres.
The slender conger is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by John Richardson in 1845, originally under the genus Congrus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific Ocean, including the Red Sea, South Africa, and Japan. It dwells at a depth range of 18 to 760 metres, and inhabits sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 52 centimetres (20 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 30 centimetres (12 in).
The yellow pike conger is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Muraenesocidae, the pike congers. This fish is found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
The brown garden eel, also known simply as the garden eel, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1870. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean, including Madeira, the Canary Islands, Senegal, the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Brazil. It dwells at a depth of 10–60 m, most commonly between 20 and 60 m, and leads a nonmigratory, benthic lifestyle, inhabiting reefs in colonies. They likely spawn during the warm season. The larval state of development lasts for about 6–8 months. Adult males can reach a maximum total length of 51 centimetres.
Cynoponticus coniceps, the red pike conger or conehead eel, is an eel in the family Muraenesocidae. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1882, originally under the genus Muraenesox. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Nicaragua. It dwells at a depth range of 10 to 100 metres, and inhabits sediments of sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 202 centimetres (80 in); the maximum recorded weight is 11.0 kilograms (24.3 lb).
Cynoponticus ferox, the Guinean pike conger, is an eel in the family Muraenesocidae. It was described by Oronzio Gabriele Costa in 1846. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including Gibraltar, the western Mediterranean, and Angola. It dwells at a depth range of 10 to 100 metres ; larger individuals are usually found from 75 to 100 metres. It inhabits sand and mud substrates on the continental shelf. Males can reach a maximum total length of 200 centimetres (79 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 150 centimetres (59 in).
Cynoponticus savanna,, the Guayana pike-conger, pike-headed eel or sapphire eel, is an eel in the family Muraenesocidae. It was described by Edward Nathaniel Bancroft in 1831, originally under the genus Conger. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Atlantic Ocean, including Central America, the Caribbean and Brazil. It dwells at a maximum depth of 100 metres (330 ft), and inhabits muddy substrates in bays and estuaries. Males can reach a maximum total length of 150 centimetres (59 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 50 centimetres (20 in).
Muraenichthys gymnopterus is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853, originally under the genus Muraena. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including China, Indonesia, and India. It inhabits rocky reefs in shallow, warm seas. Males can reach a maximum total length of 30 centimetres (12 in).
The bigfin snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific. It dwells at a depth range of 0–25 metres, and inhabits sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of 92 centimetres.
The olive snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853, originally under the genus Ophisurus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific. It forms burrows in soft sediments in shallow waters, and leads a nocturnal lifestyle. Males can reach a maximum total length of 95 centimetres (37 in).
Ophisurus macrorhynchos is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 140 centimetres (55 in), but more commonly reach a TL of 60 centimetres (24 in).
Hoeven's snake eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1853, originally under the genus Ophisurus. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from three specimens found in the Indo-Western Pacific, including Sulawesi, Indonesia, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It is known to inhabit shallow water and lagoons. Males are known to reach a total length of 22 centimetres (8.7 in).
