Home · Congridae · Catalina conger
Catalina conger (Gnathophis cinctus) — Congridae

Catalina conger

Gnathophis cinctus
Family: Congridae
LC · Least Concern

The Catalina conger (Gnathophis cinctus) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 42 cm.

Length
42 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
9.0–366.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The hardtail conger is a conger eel (Congridae) from the eastern Pacific. The species has a slender, scaleless, eel-shaped body with a continuous dorsal, tail and anal fin and a pointed snout. It lives bottom-bound on soft bottoms, where it burrows into loose sand. As a nocturnal predator it takes small fishes and bottom invertebrates. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Catalina conger?

The Catalina conger has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Catalina conger live?

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

How big does the Catalina conger get?

The Catalina conger grows to a maximum of about 42 cm.

Is the Catalina conger dangerous to humans?

No, the Catalina conger is harmless to humans.

Is the Catalina conger edible?

The Catalina conger is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bandkongeraal sourced
English name
Catalina conger verified
Scientific name
Gnathophis cinctus
Family
Congridae
Other names
Conger eel; Hardtail conger verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
9.0 verified
Max depth (m)
366.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
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
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Gnathophis

More from the family Congridae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →