Conger eel

Conger Eel in Galway Aquarium

The Conger Eel (conger conger ; as gaeilge – eascann chonchar) is one of the biggest specimens on display in the Galway Aquarium, and not one of the prettiest. In the wild, conger eels take about ten years to mature, growing to around seven feet in length. A conger will only mate once before dying, but since it can lay around six milion eggs, its probably enough.

Conger Eels are harmless to humans (unless you choke on one eating it, I suppose) – here’s a video of conger eels nuzzling against a diver in Killary Harbour.