Sea Conger, Ariosoma anagoides (Bleeker 1853)

Other Names: Big-eye Conger

Summary:

A greyish conger eel becoming whitish on the abdomen and underside of the head, with a large eye, and a bluish tinge to the dorsal and anal fins.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2024, Ariosoma anagoides in Fishes of Australia, accessed 09 Dec 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/3907

Sea Conger, Ariosoma anagoides (Bleeker 1853)

More Info

Distribution	North of Port Hedland, Western Australia, around the tropical north to off Newcastle, New South Wales, including in the Coral Sea.. Elsewhere the species occurs in the west Pacific: Indonesia and the Philippines, north to Japan and south to Australia and New Caledonia. Shelters in burrows during the day on sandy, muddy and rubble substrates; nocturnal, emerges to feed at night on crustaceans and small fishes.
Features	Dorsal fin 170-196; Caudal fin 10; Anal fin 122-145; Dorsal-caudal-anal fin 302-351 rays; Pectoral fin 14. Body depth at gill opening ~ 16-18 in TL; eye large, pupil vertically elongate; cleft of mouth reaching to below middle of eye; dorsal fin originating above gill opening; anus positioned anterior to mid-body; jaw teeth small, villiform, in 2-3 rows anteriorly, in single row posteriorly; intermaxillary teeth in several rows anteriorly, in single row posteriorly.
Etymology	The specific name anagoides is from the Japanes anago (= conger eel) and the Latin -oides (= form, shape) in reference to the similarity of this species to Ariosoma anago.
Species Citation	Conger anagoides Bleeker 1853, Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen 25: 76. Type locality: Banda Neira, Banda Island, Indonesia.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2024
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Sea Conger, Ariosoma anagoides (Bleeker 1853)

References

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Asano, H. 1962. Studies on the congrid eels of Japan. Bulletin of the Misaki Marine Biological Institute. Kyoto University (1): 1-143 figs 1-62 (as Alloconger anagoides)

Bleeker, P. 1853. Bijdrage tot de kennis der Muraenoïden en Symbranchoïden van den Indischen Archipel. Verhandelingen van het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen 25: 1-76 See ref at BHL

Bleeker, P. 1854. Derde bijdrage tot de kennis der ichthyologische fauna van de Banda-eilanden. Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië v. 6: 89-114. (as Conger anagoides) See ref at BHL

Fricke, R., Kulbicki, M. & Wantiez, L. 2011. Checklist of the fishes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacific Ocean (Pisces). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie A (Biologie) Neue Serie 4: 341-463

Kuiter, R.H. & Tonozuka, T. 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 1. Eels- Snappers, Muraenidae - Lutjanidae. Australia : Zoonetics pp. 1-302.

Masuda, H., Amaoka, K., Araga, C., Uyeno, T. & Yoshino, T. (eds) 1984. The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Tokyo : Tokai University Press Vol. 1–2 437 pp. 247 figs 370 pls.

McCosker, J., Tighe, K. & Smith, D.G. 2019. Ariosoma anagoides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T199095A2558374. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T199095A2558374.en. Accessed on 22 August 2024.

Smith, D.G. 1989. Family Congridae. pp. 460–567 in Böhlke, E.B. (ed.) Orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic. Sears Foundation for Marine Research, Yale University, Pt 9, Vol. 1. 655 pp.

Smith, D.G. 1999. Families Colocongridae, Derichthyidae, Muraenesocidae, Nemichtyhyidae, Congridae, Nettastomatidae, Serrivomeridae, Cyematidae, Saccopharyngidae, Eurypharyngidae, Monognathidae. pp. 1670-1697 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068.