The Bandtooth Conger, also known as the Baleares Conger or the Balearic Conger, is a species in the family of the Congridae and thus belongs to the order of the Anguilliformes. Ariosoma balearicum was first described by François Étienne Delaroche in 1809.
Description
The Bandtooth Conger has a sandy colour and big, white eyes. Its head is flat and the fin is comparatively large. The maximum length of the Balearic Conger is 40cm.
Habitat and Distribution
Ariosoma balearicum can be found on sandy grounds or in sea grass meadows to depths deeper than 700m. When diving in the Canaries you can observe the Bandtooth Conger often during night dives. In addition, its distribution area extends across the eastern Atlantic, western Atlantic, the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Biology
During the day Ariosoma balearicum is mostly buried in the sand, while it goes hunting at night. On its menu are invertebrates and small fish. If it feels threatened, it digs with his tail first completely into the sand.
The Balearic Conger reproduces in summer. It performs its metamorphosis from the larvae to the young eel after about 20 to 22 months with a size of approximately 20cm.
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