Description: The conger eel has a long, cylindrical body and smooth, scaleless skin. The dorsal fin starts just above the tip of the pointed pectoral fins and runs the length of the body, joining with the tail and anal fins. Two small, tube-like nostrils are conspicuous on the tip of the snout. Congers are usually slatey blue in colour with a lighter underside. They are large marine eels that can grow to approximately 2.75m in length although most are less than 2m.

Habitat: Congers are mostly encountered living amongst holes in rock or in artificial substrata such as wrecks, pier pilings, harbour walls etc. Young congers can sometimes be found in deep, seaweed covered rockpools on the low shore. They feed on a wide range of bottom-living fish, crabs and octopuses.

Distribution: This species is common and widespread all around the coasts of Britain and Ireland.

Similar Species: Juvenile congers might sometimes be confused with the common eel (Anguilla anguilla) however the latter has rounded pectoral fins and the dorsal fin starts much further back on the body.

Key Identification Features:

• Long, smooth, cylindrical body
• Pointed pectoral fins
• Dorsal fin starts just above the tip of the pectoral fin and runs the length of the body
• Slatey blue colour with paler underside
• Two tube-like nostrils on tip of snout

Distribution Map from NBN: Conger conger at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Conger conger at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Conger conger at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Conger conger (Linnaeus, 1758). AphiaID: 126285.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Chordata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Osteichthyes; Actinopterygii; Actinopteri; Teleostei; Anguilliformes; Congridae; Congrinae; Conger