Silver eel

The silver eel (Ariosoma mellissii), also known as the Melliss's conger,^[3] is an eel in the family Congridae (conger/garden eels).^[4] It was described by Albert Günther in 1870.^[5] It is a rare tropical, marine eel which is known solely from St. Helena, in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean. It is known to dwell at a maximum depth of 67 meters. Males can reach a maximum total length of 42.8 centimetres.^[4]

Silver eel
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Congridae
Genus:	Ariosoma
Species:	A. mellissii
Binomial name
Ariosoma mellissii (Günther, 1870)
Synonyms[2]
Congromuraena mellissii Günther, 1870 Ariosoma mellissi (Günther, 1870)

Not to be confused with the life stage silver eel of the European eel.

Named in honor of John Charles Melliss (1835-1911), amateur naturalist and government surveyor on St. Helena (island in the South Atlantic), who presented the type specimen to the British Museum (Natural History).^[6]