Sealife guideThe european conger eelConger conger

Last updated on 08/21/2024 at 10:42 PM
Taxonomy
  • Common name: European conger eel
  • French name: Congre, congre commun, anguille de mer
  • Spanish name: Congrio común
  • Scientific name: Conger conger (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Family name: Congridae
  • Order name: Anguilliformes
  • Class name: Actinopterygii
Description
The European conger eel can reach up to 10 feet in length for females and 3.3 feet for males.
The color of the European conger eel ranges from gray to black with a lighter underside
The color of the European conger eel ranges from gray to black with a lighter underside
Similarly, the European conger eel can weigh up to 220 pounds for females and 66 pounds for males.
The European conger eel has an elongated body similar to that of an eel. Cylindrical at the head, its body flattens out towards the tail.
The European conger eel is characterized by a continuous fin around its body and a smooth, scale-less skin.
Its color ranges from gray to black with a lighter underside.
Geographic range
The European conger eel is found in the North Sea, the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
Habitat
The European conger eel lives in rocky crevices. It is not uncommon to find it in shipwrecks.
The European conger eel can be found at depths ranging from 33 to 200 feet, and even at several hundred feet deep.
Diet
Hidden during the day, the European conger eel comes out at night to hunt. It primarily feeds on fish, crustaceans and octopuses.
Hidden during the day, the European conger eel comes out at night to hunt
Hidden during the day, the European conger eel comes out at night to hunt
Reproduction
The female European conger eel spawns her eggs in the summer at great depths.
Did you know ?
The female European conger eel can lay up to 8 million eggs.
After laying all her eggs and ensuring the survival of the species, the female European conger eel does not survive the pressure at such great depths.
The european conger eel is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The european conger eel appears in the IUCN Red List since 2015 within the category Least Concern !
Tips for observing
Concealed in its shelter, the European conger eel is a fish that can be easily observed.
Concealed in its shelter, the European conger eel is a fish that can be easily observed
Concealed in its shelter, the European conger eel is a fish that can be easily observed
Preferred hiding spots include any crevice and shipwrecks with their numerous hiding places.
Discover also
Blubberlip snapper (Lutjanus rivulatus)
Blubberlip snapper
(Lutjanus rivulatus)
Checkerboard wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus)
Checkerboard wrasse
(Halichoeres hortulanus)
Doublebar goatfish (Parupeneus trifasciatus)
Doublebar goatfish
(Parupeneus trifasciatus)
Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)
Great barracuda
(Sphyraena barracuda)
Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus)
Nassau grouper
(Epinephelus striatus)
Painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus)
Painted frogfish
(Antennarius pictus)
Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum)
Redcoat
(Sargocentron rubrum)
Squirrelfish (Holocentrus adscensionis)
Squirrelfish
(Holocentrus adscensionis)
The marine species from Mediterranean sea
Blue spiny starfish (Coscinasterias tenuispina)
Blue spiny starfish
(Coscinasterias tenuispina)
Common two-banded seabream (Diplodus vulgaris)
Common two-banded seabream
(Diplodus vulgaris)
Hatpin sea urchin (Centrostephanus longispinus)
Hatpin sea urchin
(Centrostephanus longispinus)
John dory (Zeus faber)
John dory
(Zeus faber)
Ornate wrasse (Thalassoma pavo)
Ornate wrasse
(Thalassoma pavo)
Painted comber (Serranus scriba)
Painted comber
(Serranus scriba)
Pink flatworm (Prostheceraeus roseus)
Pink flatworm
(Prostheceraeus roseus)
Purple-striped jelly (Pelagia noctiluca)
Purple-striped jelly
(Pelagia noctiluca)

Our latestUpdates

The common sea fan
Friday, November 7th 2025
The common sea fan
The common sea fan, is a type of soft coral found in the warm, shallow waters of the Caribbean and the western Atlantic ocean. It grows in wide, fan-shaped forms that sway gently with the ocean currents, helping it catch tiny food particles drifting by. Its beautiful purple branches are covered by a thin living tissue that hosts tiny algae, which provide much of the coral's energy through sunlight.
The leopard blenny
Thursday, October 30th 2025
The leopard blenny
The leopard blenny is a small reef fish from the Indo-Pacific ocean. It is easily recognized by its spotted coloration, which resembles that of a leopard. It lives on shallow coral reefs, feeds mainly on algae and polyps and skillfully camouflages among the corals to avoid predators.
The Spanish slipper lobster
Monday, October 27th 2025
The Spanish slipper lobster
The Spanish slipper lobster is a colorful crustacean found around reefs in the tropical waters of the northwestern Atlantic. Its flattened body and distinctive antennae allow it to hide in crevices during the day and emerge at night to feed on benthic invertebrates.
Photo of the Day
Requin nourrice (Ginglymostoma cirratum)
Requin nourrice
(Ginglymostoma cirratum)