40: CONGRIDAE (CONGER EELS)
abundant enough to be commercially significant. About 30
genera worldwide, 9 in our area of which several need
further study; 12 species in our area. Reviewed by Castle
(1968).
KEY TO GENERA
la Tail shorter than head and trunk combined ..... .... ....... Coloconger
Ib Tail longer than head and trunk combined ... ........................... 2
2a Posterior nostril a slit below front edge of eye ............ Bathymyrus
2b Posterior nostril in front of middle of eye ............................ .. .. 3
3a Snout about equal to eye; tail slightly longer than head
and trunk combined .......... .. .. .. ...................... .. ........ Ariosoma
3b Snout longer than eye; tail considerably longer than
head and trunk combined ......................................... .......... 4
4a Teeth in 2 rows on jaws, those in outer row longer,
compressed, in contact to form a conspicuous
cutting edge; thick lips present ...... .. .. .. ................... ..... . Conger
4b Teeth in several rows on jaws, or if in 2 rows, the teeth
not compressed or in contact and not forming a cutting
edge ... ........................................... ............................. .... 5
5a Upper jaw not projecting in front of lower; body
flabby ; gill opening an oval hole ........ ..... .. ......... Bathyuroconger
5b Upper jaw projecting in front of lower jaw; body firm;
gill opening a near-vertical slit ...................... .. .... .. .... .... ... ... .. 6
6a Vomerine teeth in only a small cluster of 2-3 on
front of palate ....... .. ... ...... ................ ...................... Rhechias
6b Vomerine teeth forming either a uniserial row or a
multiserial patch .............. ... ............ ............ ......... ...... .. .. ... 7
7a Vomerine teeth small, sharp, in a single row,
extending far back on roof of mouth ......................... . Uroconger
7b Vomerine teeth in a multiserial patch ........................... .... ..... 8
8a No obvious postorbital pores; epidermal papillae
present over body surface .. ..... ........... .. .. ..... ............ Bassanago
8a Postorbital pores present; no epidermal papillae ......... Gnathophis
Genus Ariosoma Swainson, 1838
About 10 species, 2 in our area. The Indo-Pacific species
require further study and comparison before
definitive names can be assigned.
KEY TO SPECIES
la LL pores before anus 38-42; total vertebrae 114-117;
D rays before anus 40-55; total Drays 146-178, A
rays 119-135 ...... .. .. .. ...... .. .... .. .......... .. .......... .. ....... A. scheelei
1 b LL pores before anus ca. 56; total vertebrae
ca. 143; D rays before anus ca. 66; total Drays
ca . 167; A rays ca. 110 ...................... .. ............. A. mauritianum
40.1 Ariosoma mauritianum
(Pappenheim, 1914)
Blunt-tooth conger
Stomptand-seepaling
Leptocephalus mauritianus Pappenheim, 1914: 189, Fig.8, P1.10, Fig.2
(east of Madagascar, larval form). Congermuraena anago (non Temminck
& Schlegel) : Barnard, 1925: 190 (in part). Ariosoma anago: Smith, SFSA
No. 1112 (in part). Ariosoma mauritianum: Castle , 1968: 693*.
162
Head 6, depth 16. Teeth small , conical; triserial on upper jaw, biserial
on lower; in a short, oval patch across front of upper jaws; and in a short,
biserial patch on vomer. Upper lip with well-developed upturned flange,
partly free above.
Brownish, median fins yellowish with black margin.
Attains 30 cm. Occasionally taken by trawl off Natal (10 m)
but probably more widespread; known widely in Indo-West
Pacific.
40.1 Ariosoma mauritianum: 21.5 em.
40.2 Ariosoma scheelei
(Strom man, 1896)
Tropical conger
Tropiese seepaling
Leptocephalus scheelei Stromman, 1896: 21, PI. 1, Figs. 6-7 (in part; Indonesian specimen and figure only , larval form). Congermuraena anago
(non Temminck & Schlegel): Barnard, 1925: 190 (in part) ; Smith, SFSA
No. 1112 (in part). Ariosoma scheelei: Castle, 1968: 690*.
Head 5.5-6.5, depth 15-22. Teeth small, conical; biserial in upper and
lower jaws; in a short, oval patch across front of upper jaws; biserial,
becoming uniserial on vomer. Upper lip with well-developed upturned
flange, partly free above.
Plain brownish olive, lighter below, median fins with
black margin. Attains 20 cm. Occasionally taken by trawl
off Natal and Mozambique and around reefs; known
further north and widely in the Indo-Pacific.
40.2 Ariosoma scheelei: 17 em female and larva (after Castle, 1968).
Genus 8assanago Whitley, 1948
At least 2 species; 1 in our area.
abundant enough to be commercially significant. About 30
genera worldwide, 9 in our area of which several need
further study; 12 species in our area. Reviewed by Castle
(1968).
KEY TO GENERA
la Tail shorter than head and trunk combined ..... .... ....... Coloconger
Ib Tail longer than head and trunk combined ... ........................... 2
2a Posterior nostril a slit below front edge of eye ............ Bathymyrus
2b Posterior nostril in front of middle of eye ............................ .. .. 3
3a Snout about equal to eye; tail slightly longer than head
and trunk combined .......... .. .. .. ...................... .. ........ Ariosoma
3b Snout longer than eye; tail considerably longer than
head and trunk combined ......................................... .......... 4
4a Teeth in 2 rows on jaws, those in outer row longer,
compressed, in contact to form a conspicuous
cutting edge; thick lips present ...... .. .. .. ................... ..... . Conger
4b Teeth in several rows on jaws, or if in 2 rows, the teeth
not compressed or in contact and not forming a cutting
edge ... ........................................... ............................. .... 5
5a Upper jaw not projecting in front of lower; body
flabby ; gill opening an oval hole ........ ..... .. ......... Bathyuroconger
5b Upper jaw projecting in front of lower jaw; body firm;
gill opening a near-vertical slit ...................... .. .... .. .... .... ... ... .. 6
6a Vomerine teeth in only a small cluster of 2-3 on
front of palate ....... .. ... ...... ................ ...................... Rhechias
6b Vomerine teeth forming either a uniserial row or a
multiserial patch .............. ... ............ ............ ......... ...... .. .. ... 7
7a Vomerine teeth small, sharp, in a single row,
extending far back on roof of mouth ......................... . Uroconger
7b Vomerine teeth in a multiserial patch ........................... .... ..... 8
8a No obvious postorbital pores; epidermal papillae
present over body surface .. ..... ........... .. .. ..... ............ Bassanago
8a Postorbital pores present; no epidermal papillae ......... Gnathophis
Genus Ariosoma Swainson, 1838
About 10 species, 2 in our area. The Indo-Pacific species
require further study and comparison before
definitive names can be assigned.
KEY TO SPECIES
la LL pores before anus 38-42; total vertebrae 114-117;
D rays before anus 40-55; total Drays 146-178, A
rays 119-135 ...... .. .. .. ...... .. .... .. .......... .. .......... .. ....... A. scheelei
1 b LL pores before anus ca. 56; total vertebrae
ca. 143; D rays before anus ca. 66; total Drays
ca . 167; A rays ca. 110 ...................... .. ............. A. mauritianum
40.1 Ariosoma mauritianum
(Pappenheim, 1914)
Blunt-tooth conger
Stomptand-seepaling
Leptocephalus mauritianus Pappenheim, 1914: 189, Fig.8, P1.10, Fig.2
(east of Madagascar, larval form). Congermuraena anago (non Temminck
& Schlegel) : Barnard, 1925: 190 (in part). Ariosoma anago: Smith, SFSA
No. 1112 (in part). Ariosoma mauritianum: Castle , 1968: 693*.
162
Head 6, depth 16. Teeth small , conical; triserial on upper jaw, biserial
on lower; in a short, oval patch across front of upper jaws; and in a short,
biserial patch on vomer. Upper lip with well-developed upturned flange,
partly free above.
Brownish, median fins yellowish with black margin.
Attains 30 cm. Occasionally taken by trawl off Natal (10 m)
but probably more widespread; known widely in Indo-West
Pacific.
40.1 Ariosoma mauritianum: 21.5 em.
40.2 Ariosoma scheelei
(Strom man, 1896)
Tropical conger
Tropiese seepaling
Leptocephalus scheelei Stromman, 1896: 21, PI. 1, Figs. 6-7 (in part; Indonesian specimen and figure only , larval form). Congermuraena anago
(non Temminck & Schlegel): Barnard, 1925: 190 (in part) ; Smith, SFSA
No. 1112 (in part). Ariosoma scheelei: Castle, 1968: 690*.
Head 5.5-6.5, depth 15-22. Teeth small, conical; biserial in upper and
lower jaws; in a short, oval patch across front of upper jaws; biserial,
becoming uniserial on vomer. Upper lip with well-developed upturned
flange, partly free above.
Plain brownish olive, lighter below, median fins with
black margin. Attains 20 cm. Occasionally taken by trawl
off Natal and Mozambique and around reefs; known
further north and widely in the Indo-Pacific.
40.2 Ariosoma scheelei: 17 em female and larva (after Castle, 1968).
Genus 8assanago Whitley, 1948
At least 2 species; 1 in our area.