Common pike conger

The common pike conger or pike eel (Muraenesox bagio) is a species of eel found throughout most of the Indo-Pacific.[1] In Australia, it is known in the southwest, in Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country, and south to the coast of New South Wales.[2] The common pike conger grows up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in length and 7.1 kg (16 lb) in weight.[1] A nocturnal predator, the common pike conger lives in estuaries and near the shore to a depth of 100 m (330 ft).[1][2] A strong and muscular fish, the common pike conger is a delicacy in South East Asia and features in various dishes.[3]

Common pike conger
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Anguilliformes
Family:
Muraenesocidae
Genus:
Muraenesox
Species:
M. bagio
Binomial name
Muraenesox bagio
(F. Hamilton, 1822)
Synonyms

Muraena bagio
F. Hamilton, 1822
Muraenesox cinereus
(non Forsskål, 1775)
Muraenesox yamaguchiensis
Katayama & Takai, 1954

Breeding

In Australia, the females lay the eggs off the coasts; the eggs take 9–10 weeks to hatch. A female can lay up to four million eggs in a single year.

References
  1. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2017). "Muraenesox bagio" in FishBase. September 2017 version.
  2. "Common Pike Eel, Muraenesox bagio (Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822)".
  3. "Giant sea creature found on Australian beach confuses locals". 16 February 2016.


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