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Yellow pike conger (Congresox talabon) — Muraenesocidae

Yellow pike conger

Congresox talabon

The Yellow pike conger (Congresox talabon) is a brackish-water fish of the family Muraenesocidae that grows up to 80 cm.

Length
80 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–100.0 m
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
May bite
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Yellow pike conger is a pike conger (Muraenesocidae) from coastal and estuarine water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 1.5-2.5 metres and has an elongate, eel-like, silver-grey body with a pointed head and a broad mouth full of large, fang-like teeth. As a fast bottom predator it hunts fish and crustaceans in turbid water. When handled or cornered it can give a fierce, slicing bite; keep clear of the jaws.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Yellow pike conger?

The Yellow pike conger has a snake-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Yellow pike conger live?

The Yellow pike conger lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Yellow pike conger get?

The Yellow pike conger grows to a maximum of about 80 cm. On average the species is around 50 cm.

Is the Yellow pike conger dangerous to humans?

The Yellow pike conger can bite, but is otherwise not dangerous to humans.

Is the Yellow pike conger edible?

Yes, the Yellow pike conger is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gele snoekpaling sourced
English name
Yellow pike conger sourced
Scientific name
Congresox talabon
Family
Muraenesocidae
Other names
Yellow pike conger; Yellow pike-conger verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
80.0 verified
Average length (cm)
50.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
100.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
May bite verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Muraenesocidae

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