Daggertooth pike conger
{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{redirect|Hamo||Haimo (name)}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Daggertooth pike conger
| image = Muraenesox cinereus - 1700-1880 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam - UBA01 IZ15200032.tif
| image_caption =
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Muraenesox cinereus
| authority = (Forsskål, 1775){{ITIS|id=161296 |taxon=Muraenesox cinereus}}
| synonyms = Muraena cinerea Forsskål, 1775
}}
The daggertooth pike conger (Muraenesox cinereus) also known as the darkfin pike eel in Australia, to distinguish it from the related pike-eel (Muraenesox bagio),{{cite web |last1=Bray |first1=Dianne J. |title=Muraenesox cinereus |url=https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2043 |website=Fishes of Australia |access-date=4 Sep 2022}} is a species of eel in the pike conger family, Muraenesocidae.{{FishBase |genus=Muraenesox |species=cinereus |id= |month=September |year=2012 }} They primarily live on soft bottoms in marine and brackish waters down to a depth of {{cvt|800|m|ft}}, but may enter freshwater. They commonly grow to about {{cvt|1.5|m|ft}} in length,{{cite web |title=Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskal, 1775) |author= |date=2012 |work=Species Fact Sheets |url=http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/2205/en |publisher=FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department }} but may grow as long as {{cvt|2.2|m|ft}}. Daggertooth pike congers occur in the Red Sea, on the coast of the northern Indian Ocean, and in the West Pacific from Indochina to Japan. A single specimen was also reported in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel in 1982.Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (Muraenesox cinereus). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Muraenesox_cinereus.pdf
Culinary uses
Daggertooth pike conger is a major commercial species, with annual catches reaching about 350,000 tonnes in recent years. The spot reporting the largest landings was Taiwan. It is eaten in Japanese cuisine, where it is known as hamo (ハモ, 鱧).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8nhfSFs79fUC&pg=PA34|title=Seafood of South-East Asia: a comprehensive guide with recipes |first=Alan |last=Davidson|publisher=Ten Speed Press|year=2003|page=34|isbn=1-58008-452-4}} In the Kansai Region, hamo no kawa (pickled conger skins) is a traditional delicacy,{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}} and pike conger is a common ingredient in some types of kamaboko (fish cake).{{Cite web|title=かまぼこ製品図鑑 [Kamaboko Products]|url=https://www.nikkama.jp/zukan/|url-status=live|access-date=25 March 2021|website=日本かまぼこ協会 [Japan Kamaboko Association]|date=18 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227202324/https://www.nikkama.jp/zukan/ |archive-date=2020-02-27 }}{{Cite web|title=かまぼこの種類と歴史 [History and Types of Kamaboko]|url=https://www.e-sutokama.com/kamaboko/type.html|url-status=live|access-date=25 March 2021|website=上野屋蒲鉾店 [Uenoya Kamaboko]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070110223512/http://www.e-sutokama.com:80/kamaboko/type.html |archive-date=2007-01-10 }} It is also frequently canned and exported to Asian markets.{{clear|left}}
Parasites
As with other fish, the daggertooth pike conger harbours several species of parasites.
A species of trichosomoidid nematode which parasitizes the muscles of the fish off Japan has been described in 2014 and named Huffmanela hamo, in reference to the Japanese name of the fish.Justine, J.-L. & Iwaki, T. 2014: Huffmanela hamo sp. n. (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae: Huffmanelinae) from the dagger-tooth pike conger Muraenesox cinereus off Japan. Folia Parasitologica, 61, 267–271 {{doi|10.14411/fp.2014.029}} [http://folia.paru.cas.cz/pdfs/fol/2014/03/11.pdf Free PDF] {{open access}} Accumulations of eggs of the parasite are visible as 1–2mm black spots in the flesh of the fish. The parasite is rare and the consumption of infected fish meat has no consequences for humans.
Gallery
File:Pike conger.jpg|Specimen seen at Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium
File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.ART.39 - Muraenesox cinereus (Forsskål) - Kawahara Keiga - 1823 - 1829 - Siebold Collection - pencil drawing - water colour.jpeg|Illustration
File:Hamo.jpg|Hamo with pickled plum
File:Huffmanela hamo eggs in Muraenesox cinereus 1C.JPG|Eggs of Huffmanela hamo in muscles
File:Daggertooth pike conger, capture production, thousand tonnes, 1950-2022.svg{{Cite web |title=Fisheries and Aquaculture - Global Production |url=https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/collection/global_production?lang=en |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)}}]]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.dangerouslogic.com/archive/001187.html Iron Chef Battle: Pike Eel]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1151328}}
Category:Fish of the Indian Ocean
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