0.8 GIANT FISHES 



individuals are much paler, being almost pink in colour, on 

 account of the small amount of pigment in the skin. 



Grow to a length of 6 to 8 feet. 



Several species of Conger are known, of which the Common 

 Conger (C. conger) from Western Europe is perhaps the most 

 familiar. The American Conger (C. oceanicus) is found on 

 the Atlantic coast of the United States and in the West Indies, 

 and other species occur in South America, as well as in the 

 Indian Ocean and Archipelago. The first-named species is 

 fairly common round the British Isles, especially on the west 

 coasts and in the English Channel. 



The Conger is one of the largest members of the order of 

 Eels (Apodes), and prefers deep water, where the bottom is 

 rocky, although it is also to be found in patches of sand 

 surrounded by rocks which are covered with weeds. Here it is 

 able to bury itself or to creep into convenient holes or crevices, 

 and in such a situation it is not infrequently left stranded by 

 the receding tide for an hour or so, apparently without suffering 

 much inconvenience. It lives almost entirely in the sea, and 

 only enters fresh water on rare occasions. The Conger is very 

 sensitive to changes of temperature, and becomes quite inert 

 during a spell of severe weather. 



Congers become particularly active at night and feed almost 

 exclusively during this period. The diet includes other fishes, 

 cuttlefishes, crustaceans, worms, and almost any other form 

 of animal life. They are particularly destructive to pilchards, 

 herring, hake and flatfishes of all kinds, and will enter lobster- 

 or crab-pots and devour the contents. Cannibalism is common, 

 the smaller or weaker fish being eaten by their larger brethren, 

 or the smaller males becoming victims to the larger females. 

 They are also ready scavengers, and are speedily attracted to 

 decomposing carcases. Stones up to half-a-pound in weight 

 have been taken from their stomachs, and were probably 

 swallowed for the sake of the animal life attached to them. 



When caught and placed in the bottom of a boat a Conger 

 may be seen to feel about with its tail, and if it can do so it 

 will get hold of the gunwale with it and so lift itself back into 

 the sea. It is able to support life out of water for a considerable 

 time, and fishermen nearly always kill it by a blow on the head 

 or belly. It is extraordinarily tenacious of life, and even when 



