taxonID	type	description	language	source
823A105AFFDA8465FF62AFB0FB9EE2A0.taxon	description	Jaws nearly equal, fleshy part of snout extending slightly in front of intermaxillary tooth patch. Well-developed flange on upper and lower lips, that of upper lip wide. Head pores small, those along upper jaw located on side of head instead of on flange. Preoperculo-mandibular canal with 9 ‒ 11 pores, usually 9 (except for C. cinereus, which usually has 10), seven or eight in mandibular section and two in preopercular section. Infraorbital canal contains a well-developed adnasal pore, immediately adjacent to third SO pore, the two forming what appears to be a double pore; four pores along upper jaw, one in line with these behind rictus, and 0 ‒ 3 in ascending branch behind eye. Supraorbital canal with three pores, all near tip of snout, the third immediately adjacent to adnasal pore. Supratemporal canal with a single median pore in all species except the Atlantic C. triporiceps, which has three pores. Teeth small, acute. Intermaxillary tooth patch rounded, not distinctly separated from maxillary and vomerine teeth. Vomerine tooth patch short, triangular. Maxillary and dentary teeth in one or two rows, the outer row forming a cutting edge, the inner row (when present) fewer, blunter and more widely spaced. Digestive tract pale. Stomach rather long, not quite reaching anus posteriorly. Gas bladder reaching anus posteriorly. Size variable, some species reaching up to 3 m TL, most smaller than 1 m.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD98461FF62A9AFFD6FE20F.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Pores present behind eye. Sixth IO pore above and less than one pore diameter behind rictus. Rictus under or slightly behind posterior margin of eye (Fig. 2 A). DFO over middle of pectoral fin, predorsal length less than 15 % TL, preanal length 30.7 ‒ 33.8 % TL. Black streak below eye parallel to upper lip. Vertebrae 140 ‒ 148 in Taiwan [139 ‒ 146 from elsewhere].	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD98461FF62A9AFFD6FE20F.taxon	description	Description. See Table 1 for morphometric data. Lateral-line pores: prepectoral usually 4 ‒ 6 (1 with 8); predorsal 6 ‒ 10; preanal 36 ‒ 40; total 130 ‒ 142. Head pores (Fig. 2 A): SO 3, IO 5 + 1 + 2 ‒ 3 (rarely 5 + 1 + 0 ‒ 1; 5 on upper jaw + 1 behind rictus + 0 ‒ 3 behind eye), POM 10 (rarely 9, 7 on lower jaw, 3 behind rictus), ST 1. Vertebrae: predorsal 9 ‒ 11; preanal 36 ‒ 39; total 140 ‒ 148; MVF 10 - 38 - 143. DFO over middle of pectoral fin. Angle of rictus under posterior margin of eye, 6 th IO pore above and less than one pore diameter behind rictus. Maxillary teeth none to few in inner row of upper jaw and up to 15 in that of lower jaw (Fig. 3 A). Color medium to dark brown; black margin on dorsal and anal fins; a dark streak below eye parallel to upper lip; dark spot often present on pectoral fin. In life, commonly shows a pattern of dark bars on body at night, but these usually do not remain in preservative. Maximum size 1400 mm TL (Allen & Erdmann, 2012).	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD98461FF62A9AFFD6FE20F.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Widespread in the Indo-west Pacific Ocean, from the coast of Africa and the Red Sea to the islands of the central Pacific. Commonly found in shallow waters near coral reef areas.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD98461FF62A9AFFD6FE20F.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Conger cinereus was described by Rüppell (1830) from the Red Sea. Although his text and figure clearly refer to the species we now know as Conger cinereus, he treated it as a new combination for what we now call Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskål), and not as a new species. The name dates from 1871, when Klunzinger gave an explicit description and credited the name to Rüppell. This is the most distinctive species in several characters. The jaw is longer in relation to the eye than in the other species, with the rictus beneath the posterior margin of the eye. This also alters the position of the 6 th IO pore, which is located above and immediately behind the rictus. In other species, the rictus is well before the posterior margin of the eye, and the 6 th IO pore is well behind the rictus at about the same horizontal level. There are usually 10 POM pores, whereas the other species in Taiwan typically have 9. The DFO is more anterior, over the middle of the pectoral fin, with a correspondingly lesser predorsal length. The preanal length is also less than in the other species. The oblique stripe below the eye is unique to C. cinereus, as is the barred color pattern it sometimes shows. It is the species most commonly found in shallow water on coral reefs. Kanazawa (1958) reported two rows of maxillary teeth in this species, but we found only one row with a few additional teeth around the anterior portion of the upper jaw, whereas up to 15 in that of the lower jaw. Kanazawa (1958) divided this species into two subspecies, Conger cinereus marginatus Valenciennes in Eydoux & Souleyet from Hawaii and Conger cinereus cinereus from elsewhere. Recent genetic data suggest that there may be additional subdivisions within C. c. cinereus (Smith, unpub. data). Further studies are needed to determine the taxonomic structure of Conger cinereus.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFDE846CFF62AC5EFDA8E61B.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. DFO behind pectoral fin. Maxillary teeth mainly in one row, except for 1 ‒ 4 extra teeth on inner row (Fig. 3 B). Vertebrae 140 ‒ 146.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFDE846CFF62AC5EFDA8E61B.taxon	description	Description. See Table 1 for morphometric data. Lateral-line pores: prepectoral 4 ‒ 6; predorsal 13 ‒ 15; preanal 35 ‒ 38; total 135 ‒ 138. Head pores: SO 4, IO 5 (4 on upper jaw + 1 behind rictus), POM 9 (6 on lower jaw, 3 behind rictus), ST 1. Vertebrae: predorsal 14 ‒ 16; preanal 37 ‒ 39; total 140 ‒ 146; MVF 15 - 39 - 143. DFO well behind pectoral fin. Angle of jaw before posterior margin of eye, 6 th IO pore at level of and more than one pore diameter behind rictus. Usually none to as many as 4 small teeth present in inner row of teeth on each jaw (Fig. 3 B). When preserved, most dorsal and lateral surfaces uniformly black, ventral surface slightly paler; pectoral fin blackish; throat and upper lip pale; median fins white with black base and margins, posterior portion entirely black. Maximum size 636 mm TL, expected to be larger than this.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFDE846CFF62AC5EFDA8E61B.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Known from Japan and Taiwan, and possibly South Africa.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFDE846CFF62AC5EFDA8E61B.taxon	discussion	Remarks. In Taiwan, both this species and Conger macrocephalus (see below) have been confused under the name Conger japonicus (see Smith, et al., 2016 for a clarification of the latter name). Conger jordani is distinguished by its posterior DFO and the presence of a single row of maxillary teeth, except for 1 ‒ 4 small teeth on the inner row that may be present anteriorly in some specimens. Kanazawa (1958) tentatively recorded this species from South Africa on the basis of two specimens, but noted that the DFO was more anterior than in the Japanese specimens. Although he did not give catalog numbers for the South African specimens, they are apparently USNM 171997 and 171998. Further studies with additional material are needed to assess the taxonomic status of the South Africa population.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD3846EFF62A844FE32E415.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Head very long, 15.4 ‒ 17.7 % TL, 38.0 ‒ 44.8 % PAL. DFO over posterior half to tip of pectoral fin. Inner row of dentary teeth longer than half of outer row (Fig. 3 C). Vertebrae 132 ‒ 139.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD3846EFF62A844FE32E415.taxon	description	Description. See Table 1 for morphometric data. Lateral-line pores: prepectoral 5 ‒ 6; predorsal 12 ‒ 15; preanal 32 ‒ 38; total 121 ‒ 133. Head pores: SO 4, IO 6 (5 on upper jaw + 1 behind rictus), POM 9 (rarely 10, 6 on lower jaw, 3 behind rictus), ST 1. Vertebrae: predorsal 13 ‒ 16; preanal 34 ‒ 39; total 132 ‒ 139; MVF 14 ‒ 37 ‒ 136. DFO over posterior part of pectoral fin. Angle of jaw before posterior margin of eye, 6 th IO pore at level of and more than one pore diameter behind rictus. Two rows of teeth on each jaw; inner row of maxillary teeth about half length of outer row, inner row of dentary teeth longer than half length of outer length. When fresh, uniformly brown with black margins on median fins; pectoral fin pale or with a large black patch. When preserved, uniformly pale grayish to brownish, ventral surface slightly paler; pectoral fin grayish; median fins white with black margins, the black margins on posterior portion broader. Maximum size at least 822 mm TL based on our examination.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD3846EFF62A844FE32E415.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Kanazawa (1958) described this species based on a single specimen collected from the Philippines. Ho et al. (2015) first reported it from Taiwan, where it was previously misidentified as Conger japonicus. Smith et al. (2017) reported a specimen from Oman in the northwestern Indian Ocean and suggested that the specimen recorded from Réunion by Quero & Saldanha (1995) as Conger wilsoni might be C. macrocephalus instead, based on its relatively long head (17 % TL) and low vertebral count (138). In addition, we have examined a specimen from Samoa that also appears to be C. macrocephalus (head length 17 % TL, vertebrae 138). The species thus seems to occur over a wide area of the tropical Indo-Pacific.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD3846EFF62A844FE32E415.taxon	discussion	Remarks. Conger macrocephalus is the most common species found in Taiwan. It is characterized by an especially large head, head length 15.4 ‒ 17.7 % TL compared to 11.5 ‒ 14.9 % TL in the other species in Taiwan. Although Kanazawa (1958) described the DFO over the pectoral fin, we found our specimens with the location of the DFO ranging from the middle of the pectoral fin to slightly behind the tip of the fin. Genetic data are available for USNM 398727, 401056, and 404406 under Genbank accession numbers MF 172254 ‒ MF 172256.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD18468FF62AA7DFC04E6EB.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. DFO over posterior half of pectoral fin. Inner row of teeth in lower jaw more than half the length of outer row (Fig. 3 D). Vertebrae 142 ‒ 148. A row of white spots on body above lateral line, lateral-line pores and sensory papillae on head white.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD18468FF62AA7DFC04E6EB.taxon	description	Description. See Table 1 for morphometric data. Lateral-line pores: prepectoral 5 ‒ 6; predorsal 12 ‒ 13; preanal 38 ‒ 42; total 134 ‒ 141. Head pores (Fig. 2 B): SO 4, IO 6 (5 on upper jaw + 1 behind rictus), POM 9 or 10 (6 or 7 on lower jaw, 3 behind rictus), ST 1. Vertebrae: predorsal 13 ‒ 16; preanal 39 ‒ 44; total 142 ‒ 148; MVF 14 - 42 - 145. DFO over posterior part of pectoral fin. Angle of jaw before posterior margin of eye, 6 th IO pore at level of and more than one pore diameter behind rictus (Fig. 2 B). Two rows of teeth on each jaw; inner row of maxillary teeth short, inner row of dentary teeth about 1 / 2 to subequal of length of outer row (Fig. 3 D). When preserved, dorsal surface light grayish, ventral surface paler; a row of white spots on side of body above lateral line, lateralline pores and sensory papillae on head white. Maximum size 1000 mm TL (Masuda et al., 1984).	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD18468FF62AA7DFC04E6EB.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Known from Japan, Taiwan and China.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD18468FF62AA7DFC04E6EB.taxon	discussion	Remarks. NMMB-P 12216 has only a few teeth on the inner row of the upper jaw and a somewhat shorter inner row, about 1 / 2 the length of the outer row on the lower jaw. Kanazawa (1958) also mentioned some of his specimens have only a few teeth in the inner row, thus it is treated as individual variation. NMMB-P 4983 has a few teeth on the inner row of the upper jaw and a shoewhat shorter inner row (about 1 / 2 of outer row) of teeth on the lower jaw. The DFO is well behind the pectoral fin. The head pores are similar to the others. The tooth pattern is identical to NMMB-P 12216. However, the color of NMMB-P 4983 is somewhat faded, so it might be a C. myriaster with a posterior DFO. Life history and reproduction. Conger myriaster is the most common species of Conger in Japan and is an important commercial species. At least some species of Conger, like those of Anguilla, undertake long spawning migrations to areas of deep water far from shore. Also, like Anguilla, species that live in temperate waters appear to travel greater distances than those of the tropics. Very young larvae of ca. 5 ‒ 6 mm in length have recently been collected in the western North Pacific along the Kyushu-Palau Ridge (Miller et al., 2011; Kurogi et al., 2012), slightly to the north and west of the spawning ground of Anguilla japonica. From there, the larvae are carried back to the coast by the prevailing currents. The larvae were identified genetically by matching the sequences of the mitochondrial 16 s rRNA and cytochrome oxidase I with the comparable genes in adult Conger myriaster. Although spawning areas have been located by finding the newly hatched larvae, adults have still not been collected in the open ocean. The adults leave the coast before becoming fully mature and apparently never return. They mature, spawn, and die in the open ocean. Cunningham (1891 ‒ 92) described his observations on maturing Conger conger in an aquarium in Plymouth, England. He reported finding a “ perfectly ripe male ” and described its appearance: “ It was quite a small specimen and somewhat thin; the peculiarities about it were its large prominent eyes and short broad snout. The eyes were so large in proportion to the head that their upper edges project [ed] slightly above the dorsal surface of the skull, and that surface between the eyes was quite depressed and hollow. ” He later reported that both ripe males and females had lost most of their teeth and the bones of the head had become soft and flexible. He also noted that they stopped feeding. Unfortunately, he did not illustrate either the males or the females. As such specimens are not found naturally in coastal waters, it seems likely that they mature only after they have reached the spawning area. We report here the collection of a specimen (USNM 439338, 515 + mm TL), from a market in northeastern Taiwan that appears to be a mature male (Fig. 6 C). It is very different in appearance from all the other specimens: uniformly black with a relatively large head and narrow body, a long pectoral fin, and a large eye. The gut is empty, and well-developed testes are present. The snout has a rather deep, squared-off appearance, and the flange on the upper lip is greatly reduced. Indeed, it would have been difficult to recognize as a Conger had its identity not been confirmed through DNA analysis. The CO 1 sequence (Genbank accession MF 172257) was blasted against the BOLD database to find the closest match. The result, based on 19 specimens, was a 99.84 ‒ 100 percent match with Conger myriaster. Morphological characters confirm the identification. The dentition is typical of Conger, as is the number and arrangement of pores and the position of the dorsal-fin origin over the end of the pectoral fin. Most notable is the presence of an adnasal pore in close proximity to the third SO pore, giving the appearance of a double pore, a diagnostic feature in Conger. There are no morphological characters that would falsify this identification. The specimen is missing part of the tail, and the body is badly abraded. The bones are soft and pliable, and the teeth are small and weak. The tip of the tail is missing, and 138 vertebrae are present. The specimen is 515 mm in length. The proportions are nearly normal, however, and the number of vertebrae is only slightly lower than normal, indicating that only a small portion of the tail has been lost. The specimen was collected from a market in northeastern Taiwan, but the exact location of capture is not known.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD7846BFF62AF2EFB91E5DB.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. DFO well behind tip of pectoral fin. Usually two rows of teeth on each jaw; 0 ‒ 8 in inner row of maxillary, ca. 20 in inner row of dentary. Vertebrae 131 ‒ 133 (127 ‒ 135 from outside Taiwan). Vertical fins white anteriorly and grayish posterior with clear white margins.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD7846BFF62AF2EFB91E5DB.taxon	description	Description. See Table 1 for morphometric data. Lateral-line pores: prepectoral 4 ‒ 5; predorsal 15 ‒ 17; preanal 36 ‒ 37; total 127 ‒ 127. Head pores: SO 4, IO 6 (5 on upper jaw + 1 behind rictus), POM 9 (6 on lower jaw, 3 behind rictus), ST 1. Vertebrae: predorsal 16 ‒ 17; preanal 36 ‒ 37; total 131 ‒ 133; MVF 17 - 37 - 132. DFO well behind pectoral fin. Angle of jaw before posterior margin of eye, 6 th IO pore at level of and more than one pore diameter behind rictus. Usually two rows of teeth on each jaw; upper jaw with 0 ‒ 8 teeth on inner row; lower jaw with ca. 20 small teeth on inner row extending to anterior third of length of outer row (Fig. 3 E). When preserved, most dorsal and lateral surfaces uniformly pale in small specimens, lightly grayish in large specimens, ventral surface slightly paler; pectoral fin pale in small specimens, grayish on upper portion and pale on lower portion in large specimens; throat and upper lip pale; median fins mostly white, posterior portion blackish with white margin, caudal fin blackish with white margins. * Data of specimens collecting from Taiwan, China and Japan. Maximum size at least 421 mm TL.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD7846BFF62AF2EFB91E5DB.taxon	distribution	Distribution. Known from the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Kanazawa (1958) tentatively referred literature references from the East Indies and Fiji to this species, but those records need to be confirmed.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
823A105AFFD7846BFF62AF2EFB91E5DB.taxon	discussion	Remarks. This is a relatively small species; the largest specimen examined was 421 mm TL. It can be distinguished by its posterior DFO and by having a white margin through the entire length of the vertical fins and relatively few total vertebrae, 131 ‒ 133 (127 ‒ 135 from outside Taiwan). It is common in bycatch of trawls in Vietnam based on HH’s observation. Few differences are found between Taiwanese and Vietnamese specimens. The preanal length and trunk length are slightly longer and the tail length is slightly shorter in two Taiwanese specimens compared to three Vietnamese specimens examined (Table 2). The fresh color is quite yellow in Vietnamese specimens, whereas Taiwanese specimens are relatively grayish. These differences are treated as individual variation temporarily. More specimens are needed for further study.	en	Smith, David G., Ho, Hsuan-Ching (2018): Review of the congrid eel genus Conger (Anguilliformes: Congridae) in Taiwan. Zootaxa 4454 (1): 168-185, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4454.1.14
