European congers have an average adult length of , a maximum known length of around and maximum weight of roughly , but possibly up to , Average specimens caught will weigh only . Females, with an average length at sexual maturity of , are much larger than males, with an average length at sexual maturity of . The body is very long,
anguilliform, and is without scales. The colour is usually grey, but can also be blackish. The belly is white. A row of small white spots is aligned along the lateral line. The head is almost conical, and slightly depressed. The snout is rounded and prominent, with lateral
olfactory holes. The large gill openings are in the lateral position. The conical teeth are arranged in rows on the jaws. The dorsal and anal fins are confluent with the
caudal fin.
Pectoral fins are present, while
ventral fins are absent. eel in one hole, at the Protected Marine Area of
Portofino Conger eels have habits similar to
moray eels. They usually live amongst rocks in holes, or "eel pits", sometimes in one hole together with moray eels. They come out from their holes at night to hunt. These nocturnal predators mainly feed on fish,
cephalopods, and
crustaceans, although they are thought to scavenge on dead and rotting fish, as well as actively hunt live fish. Congers can be aggressive to humans, and large specimens can pose a danger to divers. ==Distribution==