CONGRIDAE


Heteroconger hassi
(photo by Mark Strickland)


Heteroconger hassi
(Klausewitz and Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1959)
Spotted Garden Eel

V 167-175.

Body extremely elongate, depth 38-55 in TL. Mouth only slightly oblique; upper lip continuous across front of snout. Dorsal-fin origin slightly before gill opening. Lateral line pores on body widely separated, only 11-16 before anus. Color: boy white with close-set small black spots and 3 large black spots, 1st large black spot surrounding gill opening and pectoral fin, 2nd about halfway along trunk, 3rd around anus; juveniles almost entirely black. Size: attaining to 40 cm. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific, including Natal, Ryukyu Islands, Micronesia and New Caledonia. Remarks: occurring at depths of 7-45 m.