Conger eels in Curaco

[cdiver2]

Whilst on a night dive in Curaco I got the shock of my life when I saw what looked like a conger eel. I have seen literally hundreds of congers...on the other side of the Atlantic but was not aware that they were on this side?.
When I asked the manager at the resort she said they are called many toothed congers and are seen from time to time. She also said they do not like light, I can attest to that when I had my light on it I had all on to keep up with it and lost it in a few yards.
Anyone else seen them?

 

[RIOceanographer]

There are congers on this side of the Atlantic but they aren't the same species you had in the the Eastern Atlantic. The ones off of Europe are Conger conger. The one you saw in Curacao was probably Conger triporiceps. On the east coast of the US and in the northern Gulf of Mexico there is also Conger oceanicus which you might run into living in FL.

Here is info on Conger conger:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=301

Here is info on Conger triporiceps:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1017

Here is info on Conger oceanicus:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=300

 

[cdiver2]

There are congers on this side of the Atlantic but they aren't the same species you had in the the Eastern Atlantic. The ones off of Europe are Conger conger. The one you saw in Curacao was probably Conger triporiceps. On the east coast of the US and in the northern Gulf of Mexico there is also Conger oceanicus which you might run into living in FL.

Here is info on Conger conger:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=301

Here is info on Conger triporiceps:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1017

Here is info on Conger oceanicus:
http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=300

Thanks for the info. As stated I have never seen one on this side but then I have never dived above central Fl on the east or west coast.
I was amazed when I saw it, to the untrained eye it looked just like a juvenile Conger Conger at about 3'-4'. What are the differences from Conger Conger besides warm/cold water, How common are they (UK CC are very common and you should see a number of them on every wreck) I am not into the metrics yet what is the max length, I have seen Conger Conger at around 10'
Thanks again what a great experience when you learn/see something new