Family: MURAENESOCIDAE, Pikeconger Eel, Pike-Conger Eels

FAMILY MURAENESOCIDAE

PIKE-CONGER EELS

Pike congers are large (to ~ 2.5 m), heavy bodied predators with large teeth and strong jaws; tail ~ 60% of TL; large, skin-covered eyes; front nostril tubular; rear nostril an elliptical hole before middle of eye; teeth in multiple rows on jaws, 3 rows on roof of mouth with central row much enlarged; large teeth at front of lower jaw fit into a notch on underside of snout; gill openings large, nearly meet below; well developed pectorals centered on the upper edge of the large gill openings; well developed dorsal and anal fins confluent with tail fin, the dorsal origin over or just before the gill opening; lateral line conspicuous, runs the length of the body, opens through systems of multiple pores, no pores apparent on head.

The family is circumtropical, with 5 genera and 10 species. One west Atlantic species is known from the Greater Caribbean.