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Congridae (conger eel)
Taxonomy
Congridae was named by Kaup (1856). It is extant.
It was assigned to Congroidei by Jordan (1963); to Apodes by Casier (1966); to Anguilloidei by Frizzell and Dante (1965), Nolf and Dockery (1990); to Anguilliformes by Gaemers (1984), Nolf and Dockery (1993), Weems (1999), Purdy et al. (2001), Betancur et al. (2013), Carnevale et al. (2014), Bannikov (2014), Lin et al. (2017), Ebersole et al. (2019); and to Congroidei by Schwarzhans (1978), Schwarzhans (2003), Schwarzhans (2007), Schwarzhans and Bratischko (2011), Nelson et al. (2016), Schwarzhans and Nielsen (2021), Cicimurri et al. (2025).
It was assigned to Congroidei by Jordan (1963); to Apodes by Casier (1966); to Anguilloidei by Frizzell and Dante (1965), Nolf and Dockery (1990); to Anguilliformes by Gaemers (1984), Nolf and Dockery (1993), Weems (1999), Purdy et al. (2001), Betancur et al. (2013), Carnevale et al. (2014), Bannikov (2014), Lin et al. (2017), Ebersole et al. (2019); and to Congroidei by Schwarzhans (1978), Schwarzhans (2003), Schwarzhans (2007), Schwarzhans and Bratischko (2011), Nelson et al. (2016), Schwarzhans and Nielsen (2021), Cicimurri et al. (2025).
Subtaxa
Ariosoma, Ariosominae, Astroconger, Bassanago, Bathycongrus, Bathymyrinae, Blachea, Bolcyrus, Chiloconger, Conger, Congridarum, Congrinae, Gnathophis, Gorgasia, Heteroconger, Heterocongrinae, Maxwelliella, Mystriophis, Notoconger, Paraconger, Paracongroides, Promyllantor, Pseudophichthys, Pseudoxenomystax, Rhechias, Rhynchoconger (syn. Hildebrandia), Scalanago, Tonganago, Uroconger, Voltaconger, Xenomystax
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1856 | Congridae Kaup |
| 1963 | Congridae Jordan p. 630 |
| 1965 | Congridae Frizzell and Dante p. 698 |
| 1966 | Congridae Casier p. 424 |
| 1978 | Congridae Schwarzhans p. 17 |
| 1984 | Congridae Gaemers p. 25 |
| 1990 | Congridae Nolf and Dockery III p. 5 |
| 1993 | Congridae Nolf and Dockery p. 27 |
| 1999 | Congridae Weems p. 59 |
| 2001 | Congridae Purdy et al. p. 162 |
| 2003 | Congridae Schwarzhans p. 30 |
| 2007 | Congridae Schwarzhans p. 305 |
| 2011 | Congridae Schwarzhans and Bratischko p. 87 |
| 2013 | Congridae Betancur et al. |
| 2014 | Congridae Bannikov p. 25 |
| 2014 | Congridae Carnevale et al. p. 41 |
| 2016 | Congridae Nelson et al. p. 147 |
| 2017 | Congridae Lin et al. p. 13 |
| 2019 | Congridae Ebersole et al. p. 189 |
| 2021 | Congridae Schwarzhans and Nielsen p. 8 |
| 2025 | Congridae Cicimurri et al. p. 78 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
Fm. Congridae Kaup 1856 [conger eel]
show all | hide all
G. Ariosoma Swainson 1838
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Ariosoma balearica Delaroche 1809
Ariosoma globosum Steurbaut 1984
†Ariosoma moravica Sulc 1932
Ariosoma selenops Reid 1934
Subfm. Ariosominae
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G. Bassanago Whitley 1948
G. †Bathycongrus Ogilby 1898
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†Bathycongrus circularis Casier 1966
†Bathycongrus mysticus Frost 1934
†Bathycongrus waihaoensis Schwarzhans 2019
Subfm. Bathymyrinae
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G. †Protanago Schwarzhans et al. 2024
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†Protanago nonsector Nolf and Stringer 2003
†Protanago sector Koken 1888
G. Conger Schaeffer 1760
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†Conger acutus Stinton 1957
†Conger biaculeatus Lin et al. 2024
†Conger davidsmithi Schwarzhans 2019
†Conger dissimilis Frizzell and Lamber 1962
†Conger fornicatus Frizzell and Lamber 1962
†Conger glaber Brzobohaty 1967
†Conger illaesus Schwarzhans 2003
†Conger oceanicus Mitchill 1818
Conger tokoroa Schwarzhans 2019
†Conger vetustus Frizzell and Lamber 1962
G. †Congridarum Kaup 1856
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†Congridarum brevisulcus Schwarzhans 1980
†Congridarum carinatus Frost 1934
†Congridarum clifdenensis Frost 1928
†Congridarum grantmackiei Grenfell 1984
†Congridarum obrutus Stinton 1957
†Congridarum occidentalis Weiler 1959
†Congridarum thevenini Priem 1906
†Congridarum websteri Frost 1933
G. Gnathophis Kaup 1860
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†Gnathophis araroa Schwarzhans 2019
†Gnathophis flemingi Schwarzhans 1980
Gnathophis habenatus Richardson 1848
†Gnathophis incognitus Castle 1963
†Gnathophis meridies Frizzell and Lamber 1962
†Gnathophis ornatus Frost 1928
†Gnathophis quinzioi Schwarzhans and Nielsen 2021
†Gnathophis saubriguensis Steurbaut 1979
Gnathophis umbrellabius Whitley 1948
G. †Gorgasia Meek and Hildebrand 1923 [garden eel]
G. †Heteroconger Bleeker 1868 [garden eel]
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†Heteroconger astroblematicus Schwarzhans and Bratischko 2011
†Heteroconger mataura Schwarzhans et al. 2017
G. Mystriophis Kaup 1856
G. †Notoconger Schwarzhans 2019
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†Notoconger devexus Schwarzhans 2019
†Notoconger hesperis Schwarzhans 2019
G. Paraconger Kanazawa 1961
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Paraconger guianensis Kanazawa 1961
†Paraconger sauvagei Priem 1906
†Paraconger wechesensis Lin and Nolf 2022
G. Pseudophichthys Roule 1915
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†Pseudophichthys acer Schwarzhans 1985
†Pseudophichthys elongatus Sulc 1932
†Pseudophichthys texanus Lin and Nolf 2022
G. Pseudoxenomystax Breder 1927
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Pseudoxenomystax bulbiceps Whitley 1948
†Pseudoxenomystax hirsutus Castle 1960
†Pseudoxenomystax whangaimoanensis Schwarzhans 1980
G. Rhechias Jordan 1922
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†Rhechias angulosus Schwarzhans 2003
Rhechias armiger Jordan 1922
Rhechias tysanochila Reid 1934
G. Rhynchoconger Jordan and Hobbs 1925
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†Rhynchoconger aftonensis Stinton 1975
†Rhynchoconger casieri Bauza Rullan 1955
†Rhynchoconger chiloensis Schwarzhans and Nielsen 2021
†Rhynchoconger donzacquensis Nolf 1988
Rhynchoconger ectenurus Jordan and Richardson 1909
†Rhynchoconger ellipticus Weiler 1958
†Rhynchoconger eocenicus Shepherd 1916
Rhynchoconger flavus Goode and Bean 1896
†Rhynchoconger otaianus Schwarzhans 2019
†Rhynchoconger otapiriensis Frost 1934
Rhynchoconger pantanelli Bassoli 1906
Rhynchoconger pantanellii Bassoli and Schubert 1906
†Rhynchoconger placidus Schwarzhans et al. 2017
†Rhynchoconger regularis Stinton 1957
†Rhynchoconger sanctus Frizzell and Lamber 1962
†Rhynchoconger subtilis Schwarzhans et al. 2017
†Rhynchoconger transversus Sulc 1932
†Rhynchoconger weileri Jonet 1973
Invalid names: Hildebrandia Jordan and Evermann 1927 [synonym]
G. †Tonganago Schwarzhans et al. 2017
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†Tonganago coplandi Schwarzhans et al. 2017
†Tonganago fastigatus Schwarzhans 1980
†Tonganago obliquum Stinton 1957
†Tonganago sagittisulcatus Schwarzhans 1980
†Tonganago wharenga Schwarzhans 2019
G. Uroconger Kaup 1856
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†Uroconger eocaenicus Sulc 1932
†Uroconger eocaenicus rostrata Sulc 1932
†Uroconger rectus Frost 1928
†Uroconger validus Casier 1966
G. †Xenomystax Gilbert 1891
Invalid names: Congrinae [empty]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: o = order, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Kiessling 2004, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Selandian to the top of the Holocene or 61.66000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 59.24 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 59.24 Ma
Collections (208 total)
Oldest occurrences | |||
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary | USA (Mississippi) | Otolithus sector (163732) | |
| Selandian | USA (Alabama) | Rhynchoconger sp., Congridarum sp. (87817) | |
| Selandian | Denmark | Conger illaesus, Rhechias angulosus (159792 159793) Rhechias angulosus (159794 159795) | |
| Selandian - Thanetian | Ukraine | Heteroconger astroblematicus (159509) | |
| Waipawan - Mangaorapan | New Zealand (South Island) | Conger davidsmithi, Rhynchoconger otaianus, Tonganago wharenga (219497) | |
| Early/Lower Eocene | USA (Mississippi) | Conger meridies (62890) | |
| Ypresian | Italy | Voltaconger latispinus, Bolcyrus formosissimus, Bolcyrus bajai, Paracongroides heckeli (94830) | |
| Ypresian | USA (Alabama) | Conger biaculeatus (237211) | |
| Eocene | USA (Texas) | Parbatmya fornicata (84145) | |
| Eocene | USA (Louisiana) | Conger fornicatus (84176) | |
| Eocene | France | Paraconger sauvagei (220174) | |
| Wasatchian | USA (Virginia) | Voltaconger latispinus, Bolcyrus formosissimus (15595) | |
| Mangaorapan | New Zealand (South Island) | Rhynchoconger eocenicus, Maxwelliella urbana, Tonganago wharenga (219499) | |
| Mangaorapan - Heretaungan | New Zealand (South Island) | Gnathophis flemingi, Maxwelliella urbana, Conger davidsmithi, Rhynchoconger otaianus, Tonganago fastigatus, Tonganago wharenga (219500) Rhynchoconger eocenicus, Maxwelliella urbana, Conger davidsmithi, Tonganago fastigatus, Tonganago wharenga (219501) | |
| Heretaungan | New Zealand (South Island) | Rhynchoconger eocenicus, Gnathophis flemingi, Maxwelliella urbana, Conger davidsmithi, Tonganago fastigatus, Tonganago wharenga (219498) | |
| Lutetian | India (Kachchh) | Congridarum diagonalis, Congridarum sp. (202251) | |
| Lutetian | Germany (Lower Saxony,) | Rhynchoconger eocenicus, Pseudophichthys guttulus, Paraconger sauvagei, Congridarum sp., Congridarum thevenini (188954) | |
| Lutetian | France | Conger eocaenicus (188957 188958 188961) Conger eocaenicus, Rhynchoconger donzacqensis (188962) Conger eocenicus, Rhynchoconger donzacquensis (188960) Rhynchoconger transversus (188959) | |
| Lutetian | United Kingdom (England) | Conger sp. (41989) Conger sp., Conger extensus, Uroconger emarginatus, Promyllantor impletus (41998) Conger sp., Conger productus (41994) Conger sp., Conger productus, Paraconger sauvagei (41992 41996) Conger sp., Gnathophis eocenicus (41888) | |
| Lutetian | USA (Texas) | Ariosoma sp., Congridae indet., Congridarum fornicatus (209370) Pseudophichthys texanus, Paraconger wechesensis (237130) | |