Cynoponticus coniceps

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Cynoponticus coniceps.jpg

|status=DD

|status_system=IUCN3.1

|status_ref={{cite iucn|author1=McCosker, J.|author2=Béarez, P.|author3=Bernal, O.|author4=Betancur, R.|author5=Lea, B.|year=2010|title=Cynoponticus coniceps|page=e.T178051A7490053|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T178051A7490053.en|access-date=27 February 2024}}

| genus = Cynoponticus

| species = coniceps

| authority = (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)

| synonyms_ref = [http://www.fishbase.ca/Nomenclature/SynonymsList.php?ID=13777&SynCode=28979&GenusName=Cynoponticus&SpeciesName=coniceps Synonyms of Cynoponticus coniceps] at www.fishbase.org.

| synonyms = * Muraenesox coniceps Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

}}

Cynoponticus coniceps, the red pike conger or conehead eel,[http://www.fishbase.ca/comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=13777&GenusName=Cynoponticus&SpeciesName=coniceps&StockCode=13820 Common names of Cynoponticus coniceps] at www.fishbase.org. is an eel in the family Muraenesocidae (pike congers).[http://fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/Cynoponticus-coniceps.html Cynoponticus coniceps] at www.fishbase.org. It was described by David Starr Jordan and Charles Henry Gilbert in 1882, originally under the genus Muraenesox.Jordan, D. S. and C. H. Gilbert, 1882 (6 Apr.) [ref. 2470] Descriptions of thirty-three new species of fishes from Mazatlan, Mexico. Proceedings of the United States National Museum v. 4 (no. 237): 338-365. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the eastern central and southeastern Pacific Ocean, including Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Nicaragua. It dwells at a depth range of {{convert|10|to|100|m|ft}}, and inhabits sediments of sand and mud. Males can reach a maximum total length of {{convert|202|cm|in}}; the maximum recorded weight is {{convert|11.0|kg|lb}}.

The red pike conger's diet consists of finfish and invertebrates.[http://www.fishbase.ca/TrophicEco/FoodItemsList.php?vstockcode=13820&genus=Cynoponticus&species=coniceps Food items reported for Cynoponticus coniceps] at www.fishbase.org. It is of commercial interest to fisheries, and is considered to have high quality flesh. It is also captured as a by-catch by shrimp trawlers.

The IUCN redlist currently lists Cynoponticus coniceps as Data Deficient, due to a lack of information on how the species is affected by fishing activities.