Posted by jon gustafsoon on July 2, 2006

Q: i just completed a dive to 530 ft sea water and we had alot off eels the diver said the eels was conger eel but what i read the like rock not soft mud.the eel gray and avrage size was about 5-8 ft long

State: Louisiana

A: You didn't say how your dive was made but sounds like some kind of submersible craft? Impressive! I'm not well acquainted with saltwater natural history but did do a bit of research on your observations. You're right about the Conger Eel spending most time in reefs and rocky places rather than on a mud bottom. Do keep in mind that there are several species of Congers so we can't be sure which one you saw. Also, the size fits with Conger Eels as they do get quite large with some as long as 7 feet. One of the most common species is Conger oceanicus so you might want to google this animal and see if it looks right.

My research indicated that Conger Eels make rather long migrations to spawning grounds to breed. I'm wondering if these eels were on their spawning grounds out in the Gulf so were away from typical habitat? Apparently, as this species approaches breeding condtion, the males' eyes enlarge a great deal and their body configuration changes somewhat so they may look "different" from usual pictures. Wonder if you noticed any of this? Also, these animals tend to be nocturnal and rather solitary so if you saw lots of them in daylight, maybe they were indeed spawning or getting ready to do so. Sorry I can't be more informative but hope this gives you a bit to think about. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( July 3, 2006)