【Reading】ぎんあなご

【English Name】Silver Conger Eel

The saltwater fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, family Congridae, genus Gnathophis, is gin-anago, whose name derives from the silver luster covering its body. The same genus includes closely related species such as nise-gin-anago and hime-gin-anago.

Fish of the family Congridae have a slender body like eels, but a major difference is that they have no scales. Gin-anago belongs to the subfamily Bathymyrinae, and the origin of the dorsal fin being positioned behind the pectoral fin is a morphological characteristic common to this subfamily. It is a nocturnal fish that hides on sandy-muddy seabeds or in crevices of rocks during the day and becomes active at night in search of small fish, crustaceans, and shellfish.

As a sushi topping, it is not as widely distributed as maanago, but as a white-fleshed conger it is sometimes used as material for ni-anago (simmered conger) and tempura. Its flavor is somewhat lighter than maanago, and its flesh quality tends to be soft. In fishing areas it is also a valued material for surimi products. It inhabits widely in the temperate waters near Japan and prefers sandy-muddy seabed environments.