Longfin African conger
species of fish
The longfin African conger (Conger cinereus) is an eel of the family Congridae known by several common names, including the blacklip conger, moustache conger, and ashen conger. Its range covers much of the Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa, to the Marquesas and Easter Islands. It is generally found in shallow coastal and reef habitats, and is known for its nocturnal, often reclusive behavior. The population found in Hawai'i was originally classified as a subspecies (C. cinereus marginatus), but was later considered its own species (Conger marginatus).
Description
Conger cinereus has a slender, elongated body, with larger individuals reaching about 1.3–1.4 m (4 ft 3 in – 4 ft 7 in) in length. Its coloration is gray-brown in daylight, but has been reported to show blue-gray bands at night, which is thought to aid in camouflage. A dark line below the eye that extends across the upper lip gives rise to the common name "moustache conger".
Distribution and habitat
Conger cinereus occurs across much of the Indo-West Pacific. Its range extends from the Red Sea and eastern African region, including Madagascar, the Seychelles, and Tanzania, to the Marquesas and Easter Islands. Reports place the northern edge of its range around southern Japan and the Ogasawara Islands, with its southern limit being recorded around northern Australia and Lord Howe Island.
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The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q880143. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Longfin African conger” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.