Systematic position
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Anguilliformes (Eels)
Suborder: Congroidei
Family: Muraenesocidae (Pike congers)
Genus: Congresox
Species: C. talabon
Synonyms
Conger talabon Cuvier, 1829
Muraenesox talabon (Cuvier, 1829)
Common/local names
English: Yellow pike conger
Bangladesh: Kamila (কামিলা)
Distributions: Bangladesh (Rahman, 1989 and 2005) and east coast of India and eastwards throughout Indonesia (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
Conservation status: Not threatened in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh, 2000).
Morphology: Body robust and eel-shaped. Mouth very large, its gape extends well beyond eye. Teeth generally large and conspicuous and three rows present on upper jaw and four rows present on lower jaw. Fang like canine teeth present at front of lower jaw and on vomer and median canines present on vomer conical. Vomerine teeth large and without basal lobes. The length of head 3.0 in the distance between snout and vent. Length of trunk about one fourth less than that of the tail. Cleft of mouth about half length of head. Dorsal fin inserted before gill openings and 70-75 finrays present before level of vent. Pectoral fins relatively large and about 2.5 to 3.2 times in head length. Lateral line pores before level of anus 41-42 (Rahman, 1989 and 2005); 35-40 (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
Head and body yellow but sometimes upper surface of back and head are olive in color. Posterior portion brown, abdomen dull white and inferior portion silvery. Cheeks, gill covers and throat with golden reflection. Dorsal and anal fins with narrow black edges (Rahman, 1989 and 2005; Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
Maximum length: 50 cm (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991)
Habitats: Lives over soft bottoms down to about 100 m and in estuaries (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991). Estuaries and tidal rivers of Bangladesh (Rahman, 1989 and 2005)
Food and feeding: Feeds on bottom fishes and crustaceans (Talwar and Jhingran, 1991).
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REFERENCES
Cuvier G (1829) Le Règne Animal, distribué d’après son organisation, pour servir de base à l’histoire naturelle des animaux et d’introduction à l’anatomie comparée. Edition 2. Le Règne Animal, distribué d’après son organisation, pour servir de base à l’histoire naturelle des animaux et d’introduction à l’anatomie comparée. Edition 2. 2: i-xv + 1-406.
IUCN Bangladesh (2000) Red book of threatened fishes of Bangladesh, IUCN- The world conservation union. xii+116 pp.
Rahman AKA (1989) Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 1st edition, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, p. 49.
Rahman AKA (2005) Freshwater Fishes of Bangladesh, 2nd edition, Zoological Society of Bangladesh, Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, p. 64.
Talwar PK and Jhingran AG (1991) Inland Fishes of India and Adjacent Countries, Vol. 1, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi-Calcutta, p. 89.
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