PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



by the 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Vol. 108 Washington : 1958 No. 3400 



A REVISION OF THE EELS OF THE GENUS CONGER WITH 

 DESCRIPTIONS OF FOUR NEW SPECIES 



By Robert H. Kanazawa 



This study redefines the genus Conger Oken and describes 14 

 species, with 2 subspecies. The leptocephalus larvae referred to 

 this genus were exchided from this study. 



The most important studies of the genus were by Kaup (1856a, 6), 

 who distinguished nine species. Giinther (1870) recognized four 

 species, but inchided in vulgaris forms from almost the whole world 

 and since then many authors have followed his conclusions. 



Subsequent authors have made studies on a regional basis : Jordan 

 and Davis (1892) referred the three Atlantic species to Leptocephalus 

 Gronovius, instead of Conger; Jordan and Evermann (1896) combined 

 the conger eels of the Americas and Europe into two species under 

 Leptocephalus; Jordan and Snyder (1901) recognized seven species in 

 Leptocephalus from Japanese waters; Evermann and Kendall (1906) 

 concluded that C. orhignyanus Castelnau from South America is 

 distinct from North American species; Weber and de Beaufort 

 (1916) distinguished but two species in Conger and included with 

 C. conger forms from all over the world; Jordan and Hubbs (1925) 

 placed two species from Japan in Conger and erected the new genus 

 Astroconger for myriaster; Griffin's (1936) revision of New Zealand 



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