Home · Congridae · Sand conger
Sand conger (Ariosoma anagoides) — Congridae

Sand conger

Ariosoma anagoides
Family: Congridae

The Sand conger (Ariosoma anagoides) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 51 cm.

Length
51 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
10.0–250.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Asia: Australia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (South) and others

Want the complete picture on the Sand conger?

Get the app

Description

The sand conger is a conger eel (Congridae) from shallow sand and mud water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 40 cm and has a smooth, eel-like, pale-brown skin, large eyes and a fairly blunt snout. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it lies partly buried in the sand by day and hunts small fish, crustaceans and worms by night. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Sand conger?

The Sand conger has a snake-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Sand conger live?

The Sand conger lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Asia: Australia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (South) and others

How big does the Sand conger get?

The Sand conger grows to a maximum of about 51 cm.

Is the Sand conger dangerous to humans?

No, the Sand 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.

More photos

Sand conger (Ariosoma anagoides) — Congridae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) uwkwaj, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Sand conger (Ariosoma anagoides) — Congridae — 3
iNaturalist ((c) Sylvain Le Bris, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Sand conger (Ariosoma anagoides) — Congridae — 4
iNaturalist ((c) craigjhowe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Sand conger (Ariosoma anagoides) — Congridae — 5
craigjhowe (CC BY-NC 4.0) via GBIF — iNaturalist
Fin

Want the complete picture on the Sand conger?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Sand conger is one of 12,519 species in the app.

Get the app →

All data

Identification

English name
Sand conger sourced
Scientific name
Ariosoma anagoides
Family
Congridae
Other names
Big-eye conger; Sea conger verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
51.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
10.0 verified
Max depth (m)
250.0 verified
Natural range
Asia: Australia, China, Taiwan/Ch Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (South) and others sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Diet (detail)
Small fishes, crustaceans and invertebrates inferred
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred

For anglers

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 verified
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 Ariosoma

More from the family Congridae

Fin

Want the complete picture on the Sand conger?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Sand conger is one of 12,519 species in the app.

Get the app →
Is this the Sand conger? Get the app