本科は7属からなる。本属に類似するMuraenesoxハモ属では鋤骨歯,両顎の側歯が鋭く尖る。Congresoxの鋤骨歯は槍状で横断面は円形。東部大西洋から知られるCynoponticus feroxの肛門前側線孔数は36〜40(Castle and Williamson, 1975)。 (上野・佐々木)
Distinctive characters:
Snout relatively short and blunt in the eels of the family. Rictus exceeds far beyond the posterior margin of eye. Head length 2.5〜2.8 times of upper jaw length. Anus situated slightly in front of middle of body, total length 2.2 times of preanal length. Number of preanal lateral line pores 42〜43. Pectoral fin well developed. Dorsal fin originates over pectoral base. Teeth on vomer large and compressed, but their tips relatively blunt and not pointed acutely; teeth on maxillary and dentary blunt, their upper ends flattened. Margins of vertical fins and pectoral fin black.
Distribution:
Florida to Brazil.
Remarks:
In Muraenesox, vomerine and lateral teeth pointed and compressed; in Congresox, vomerine teeth lanceolate and round in section. Cynoponticus ferox, reported from the eastern Atlantic, has 36〜40 preanal lateral line pores (Castle and Williamson, 1975). (Uyeno and Sasaki)