10 



No. 11. CONGER EEL. 



Conger vulgaris, Cuvicr. 



Usual extreme length : 8 to 9 feet. 



Description:- Eyes and head larger in proportion to the body 

 than they are in the Common Eel. Dorsal fin commencing- at a 

 point close behind the pectoral fins, and coalescing- with the 

 caudal and anal. Gill-openings of large size ; teeth situated so 

 closely together as to form a cutting edge. There are no scales, 

 but thei skin is firm and tough. Coloration dark olive brown, 

 lightening on the flanks and lower parts to an impure white ; in 

 many specimens taken from sandy ground the general tone is 

 much lighter ; the margins of the fins are black. 



The food of the Conger consists of other fishes, including 

 smaller individuals of its own kind, squid, cuttlefish, crus- 

 taceans, etc. 



Range: From the coasts of Europe, including the Mediter- 

 ranean, to sub-tropical seas. Off Britain the species is most 

 abundant in the English Channel. 



Remarks: -From the natural scientific standpoint, the Conger is of 

 considerable interest, chiefly on account of the remarkable metamor- 

 phosis which is undergone "by the developmental stages of the young. 

 The larval form, the so-called " Leptocephalus " a flattened, "trans- 

 parent creature, quite unlike the adult was at one time regarded as a 

 distinct species. The flesh is of very fair quality, equally suitable for 

 boiling or frying in cutlets or fillets." The young'fish may be cooked in 

 the same way as the Common Eel. 



