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Californian conger (Paraconger californiensis) — Congridae

Californian conger

Paraconger californiensis
Family: Congridae
LC · Least Concern

The Californian conger (Paraconger californiensis) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 60 cm.

Length
60 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0–50.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Eastern Pacific
Edibility
Rarely eaten

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Description

The ringeye conger is a conger eel from the eastern Pacific, ranging from the Gulf of California to Peru. The species grows to about 60 cm and has a cylindrical, strongly elongate, light brown to yellowish body with a paler belly and dark fin margins. As a bottom-dweller the fish lives on sandy bottoms to about 50 metres depth and hunts smaller animals. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Californian conger?

The Californian conger has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern. Cylindrical, strongly elongated body; bottom-dwelling conger eel

Where does the Californian conger live?

The Californian conger lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Eastern Pacific

How big does the Californian conger get?

The Californian conger grows to a maximum of about 60 cm. On average the species is around 40 cm.

Is the Californian conger dangerous to humans?

No, the Californian conger is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

Is the Californian conger edible?

The Californian conger is rarely eaten.

More photos

Californian conger (Paraconger californiensis) — Congridae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) natividadm, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Californian conger (Paraconger californiensis) — Congridae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Lorene Archdekin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Californian conger verified
Scientific name
Paraconger californiensis
Family
Congridae
Other names
Ringeye conger verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
60.0 verified
Average length (cm)
40.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0 sourced
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Natural range
Eastern Pacific verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Small fishes and crustaceans inferred
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced
Seasonality
Bottom-dweller of sandy bottoms; present year-round. sourced
Special features
Cylindrical, strongly elongated body; bottom-dwelling conger eel sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bottom fishing with natural bait (worm, shrimp or fish) on or just above the seabed. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Paraconger

More from the family Congridae

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