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  • snout overhangs mouth
    rear nostril: hole below mid-eye level
    D origin ~ over pectoral base
    D & A rays unsegmented
    tail < 60% TL
    blunt stiff C
    Ariosoma gilberti, Sharpnose conger, Snake conger, Gilbert's conger
    flanges both lips
    jaw teeth in bands
    pectoral base extending above gill opening
  • snout short (< eye), blunt
    D: origin over center pectoral
    D & A rays not segmented
    tail ~ 60% of TL
    D & A join C, tail tip rigid
    Chiloconger dentatus, Thicklip conger, Short-snout conger
    both lips - large folds, upper high & covers divided hollow
    pectoral base extends above gill opening
  • snout long, overhanging , with ventral keel
    rear nostril = hole before mid-eye
    D: origin slightly behind pectoral base
    D & A rays segmented
    tail: ~ 60% TL, tip stiff, small C
    Gnathophis cinctus, Catalina's conger, Hard-tail conger
    jaw teeth in bands, long patch on central roof of mouth
    pectoral base extends above top of gill opening
  • mouth ends under eye
    pale + dense dark dots
    tail tip = hard finless point
    Gorgasia punctata, Peppered garden-eel, Dotted garden-eel
    upper lips not joined at front
    front nostrils not in lips
    pectoral > eye
  • dark brown
    front LL pores in white rings
    Heteroconger canabus, Cape garden-eel, White ring garden-eel
    gill opening in black spot
  • tan
    LL pores unpigmented
    Heteroconger digueti, Cortez garden-eel, Pale green garden-eel
    gill opening in dark spot
  • brown + pale blotches head & front body
    LL pores in white blotches
    Heteroconger klausewitzi, Galapagos garden-eel
    gill opening in black patch
  • mouth ends under center eye
    body & head: dense tiny black dots
    tail tip with small C
    Heteroconger pellegrini, Speckled garden-eel, Mimic garden-eel
    upper lips joined
    front nostrils in lips
    pectoral < < eye
  • lower lip - narrow flange
    D origin before pectoral base
    D & A rays segmented
    tail > 60% TL, tip soft, flexible
    Japonoconger proriger, Black-fin conger
    jaws: teeth in bands, upper front teeth in separate patch
    pectoral base extends above gill opening
  • iris - dark ring
    behind eye - dark blotch
    D & A: dark + white margins
    tail ~ 2/3 TL
    Paraconger californiensis, California conger, Ringeye conger
    jaws: outer teeth form cutting edge
    rear nostril: hole just before eye
    LL: 38-46 pores before anus
  • tail ~ 57% TL
    Paraconger similis, Short-tail conger
    jaws: outer teeth form cutting edge
    rear nostril: tube before eye
    LL: 50-51 pores before anus
  • snout large, conical, overhangs exposed tooth patch
    D & A rays segmented
    tail > 2/3 TL, slender, pointed
    Rhynchoconger nitens, Big-nose conger, Needle-tail conger