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Fish4Life provides everything you need to enjoy seafood responsibly. Explore information and practical tips for safe and sustainable seafood consumption, and help protect marine life by reporting undersized or illegally traded seafood.

Conger eel
Conger conger
Μουγγρί

Sustainability Status

Currently considered sustainable

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Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

200 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

July – September

Advice for Consumption

Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable.

Greek legislation does not establish legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected.

Choose responsibly by respecting sustainable size limits and avoiding consumption during the breeding season.

Archipelagos Tips

Choosing larger, mature fish helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.

Common names

FR

Congre

it

Grongo

es

Congrio

tr

Mığrı balığı

pt

Safio

nl

Kongeraal

de

Conger

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Dorsal, tail and anal fins fused forming a complete fringe with a pointed tail. The pectoral fins are pointed with the dorsal fin beginning just behind the pectoral tip. The eyes are eliptical and the upper jaw is longer than the lower. Nostril openings face forward on the snout with thick lips. Dark grey-blue or grey-brown in colour with black margin around dorsal, anal fins and pale underneath. Long snake-like fish that grow up to 2.75 m in length.

It looks like Conger verreauxi (Southern Conger) and the Conger wilsoni (Eastern Conger) are distinguished primarily by their geographic distribution and specific fin characteristics.

Did you know?

Conger eel’s mainly hide between rocks during the day, they are extremely territorial and protective of their chosen space, and they are carnivorous hunters during the night!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods during the night.

habitat

Benthopelagic.
Found on rocky and sandy bottoms.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 300 cm
Max weight: 110 kg
Depth range: 0-1171 m

breeding & Growth

Gonochoric (seperate sexes).
Eggs are released into open sea at depths of 2,000 – 3,000 m from June through August.
Growth rate: Slow (k = 0.100 yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 5-20 years
Max reported age: 20 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Eastern Atlantic.

appearance changes

Conger conger undergo a severe, life-ending metamorphosis when they reach sexual maturity and migrate to deep water to spawn. This transformation includes significant tooth loss, eye enlargement, pectoral fin shape alteration, widespread skeletal decalcification (mineral loss), and major body color changes.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 3-8 million eggs
Reproductive frequency: Once in their lifetime.
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Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation

Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable

Health concerns –
Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat

Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms