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Anago: Slightly more "evolved" fish, has ossified bones. Breeds in
brackish waters, lives adulthood in the sea. Not cultured-scientific
data totally lacking.

Unagi: Less evolved fish, has cartilage instead of bones. Breeds in
sal****er, lives adulthood in freshwater. Cultured-some scientific data
existing, but not complete. Baby eels currently imported from U. S.
(Atlantic), Europe, plus few others shipped to China and/or Japan for
growouts.

Chinese unagi vs. Japanese unagi: Price and taste different due to
different feed formula and labor. Usual cost of Japanese origin,
cultured vacuum packed unagi = 3 - 4X the cost of Chinese origin.

Bon Gusto,

Walter Rhee

Walter wrote on 27 Aug 2005 11:23:02 -0700:

WR> Anago: Slightly more "evolved" fish, has ossified bones.
Breeds
WR> in brackish waters, lives adulthood in the sea. Not
WR> cultured-scientific data totally lacking.

WR> Unagi: Less evolved fish, has cartilage instead of bones.
Breeds
WR> in sal****er, lives adulthood in freshwater. Cultured-some
WR> scientific data existing, but not complete. Baby eels
WR> currently imported from U. S. (Atlantic), Europe, plus few
WR> others shipped to China and/or Japan for growouts.

According to Robb Satterwhite in "What's What in Japanese
Restaurants", the anago is the conger eel. If so, it used to be
common enough in Europe and I believe there is a Pacific
variety. It's scientific name is Conger conger or Conger
oceanicus and it's rather a big pugnacious fish with big sharp
teeth. I wonder if the anago is like that. I'm just asking for
interest since I'm not really very fond of eating any form of
eel.

James Silverton.
Potomac, Maryland.

> Walter wrote on 27 Aug 2005 11:23:02 -0700:
>
> WR> Anago: Slightly more "evolved" fish, has ossified bones.
> Breeds
> WR> in brackish waters, lives adulthood in the sea. Not
> WR> cultured-scientific data totally lacking.
>
> WR> Unagi: Less evolved fish, has cartilage instead of bones.
> Breeds
> WR> in sal****er, lives adulthood in freshwater. Cultured-some
> WR> scientific data existing, but not complete. Baby eels
> WR> currently imported from U. S. (Atlantic), Europe, plus few
> WR> others shipped to China and/or Japan for growouts.
>

An itamae told me that while he tries to use Japanese anago when he
can, there are times when select anago shipments come from Korea.

James Silverton wrote:
> Walter wrote on 27 Aug 2005 11:23:02 -0700:
>
> WR> Anago: Slightly more "evolved" fish, has ossified bones. Breeds
> WR> in brackish waters, lives adulthood in the sea. Not
> WR> cultured-scientific data totally lacking.
>
> WR> Unagi: Less evolved fish, has cartilage instead of bones. Breeds
> WR> in sal****er, lives adulthood in freshwater. Cultured-some
> WR> scientific data existing, but not complete. Baby eels
> WR> currently imported from U. S. (Atlantic), Europe, plus few
> WR> others shipped to China and/or Japan for growouts.
>
> According to Robb Satterwhite in "What's What in Japanese Restaurants",
> the anago is the conger eel. If so, it used to be common enough in
> Europe and I believe there is a Pacific variety. It's scientific name is
> Conger conger or Conger oceanicus and it's rather a big pugnacious fish
> with big sharp teeth. I wonder if the anago is like that. I'm just
> asking for interest since I'm not really very fond of eating any form of
> eel.
>
> James Silverton.
> Potomac, Maryland.

Anago is Conger myriaster, per some Japanese-language sites I surveyed
for my Sushi fish glossary.

Unagi usually Anguilla japonica.

"James Silverton" <not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.net> wrote in message
...
> Walter wrote on 27 Aug 2005 11:23:02 -0700:
>
> WR> Anago: Slightly more "evolved" fish, has ossified bones.
> Breeds
> WR> in brackish waters, lives adulthood in the sea. Not
> WR> cultured-scientific data totally lacking.
>
> WR> Unagi: Less evolved fish, has cartilage instead of bones.
> Breeds
> WR> in sal****er, lives adulthood in freshwater. Cultured-some
> WR> scientific data existing, but not complete. Baby eels
> WR> currently imported from U. S. (Atlantic), Europe, plus few
> WR> others shipped to China and/or Japan for growouts.
>
> According to Robb Satterwhite in "What's What in Japanese
> Restaurants", the anago is the conger eel. If so, it used to be
> common enough in Europe and I believe there is a Pacific
> variety. It's scientific name is Conger conger or Conger
> oceanicus and it's rather a big pugnacious fish with big sharp
> teeth. I wonder if the anago is like that. I'm just asking for
> interest since I'm not really very fond of eating any form of
> eel.
>
> James Silverton.
> Potomac, Maryland.

I have seen the Conger eels of Europe, in Wales and in he Mediterranean.
They can get absolutely enormous.
I have also seen conger eels plenty of times in scuba diving off NY and NJ.
These atlantic conger eels are not the same as the "Anago" of Japan.
The Anago is a less "pugnacious fish" and not too large. In fact the normal
eel, unagi gets bigger than the average Anago.
M

I did a little searching and came up with
http://www.ochef.com/652.htm

It is again stated that the anago is a Japanese conger eel.
...................................
Q. What is the anago?

A. Anago is the Japanese word for conger eel, which is popular
both in sushi and grilled with a sweet basting sauce (kabayaki).



Unlike the Atlantic and Mediterranean conger eels (conger
oceanicus and conger conger), which can grow to almost 10 feet
in length and weigh 170 pounds, the Pacific conger eel (conger
myriaster) rarely grows beyond 3-1/2 feet in length and a few
pounds. Anago live in the western North Pacific around Japan,
the Korean peninsula and in the East China Sea, and is also
farmed extensively in Japan.

.........................................



A "small" conger eel does fit with others have said especially
Geoff who also gave the species name as Conger myriaster and
there are very many species of conger eel.



James Silverton.

"James Silverton" <not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.net> wrote in message
...
> I did a little searching and came up with
> http://www.ochef.com/652.htm
>
> It is again stated that the anago is a Japanese conger eel.
> ..................................
> Q. What is the anago?
>
> A. Anago is the Japanese word for conger eel, which is popular
> both in sushi and grilled with a sweet basting sauce (kabayaki).
>
>
>
> Unlike the Atlantic and Mediterranean conger eels (conger
> oceanicus and conger conger), which can grow to almost 10 feet
> in length and weigh 170 pounds, the Pacific conger eel (conger
> myriaster) rarely grows beyond 3-1/2 feet in length and a few
> pounds. Anago live in the western North Pacific around Japan,
> the Korean peninsula and in the East China Sea, and is also
> farmed extensively in Japan.
>
> ........................................
>
>
>
> A "small" conger eel does fit with others have said especially
> Geoff who also gave the species name as Conger myriaster and
> there are very many species of conger eel.
>
> James Silverton.

Yes, there are many species of Conger eels. Here are some photographs that
show
the difference between the Atlantric Conger and the Anago.

Atlantic conger eels:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/aquarium/pages/conger.html
http://www.njscuba.net/biology/sw_fish_bottom.html

Anago in Japan:
http://www.miyajima.or.jp/gurumet/anago.htm
http://www.uonotana.or.jp/fish/rg/rg...rds=1&id=20007
http://www.pref.kagawa.jp/suisan/htm...nago/anago.htm

Size difference:
Here a 90cm 1.5kg "Big Anago" caught by a 4th grader in Japan.
http://www.morioka-times.com/news/0410/04/04100409.htm

Here 50lb plus atlantic conger eels.
http://www.britishcongerclub.org.uk/album/photos3.htm
http://www.tarkaseatrips.com/gallery/2003-Summer%20Corporate/Kevin's_72lb_reef_conger_eel.jpg

BTW, when I was in Wales I asked about the taste of these very big Atlantic
conger eels,
and the responses I got ranged from "bearable" to "bad". Seemed like they
were a popular
target for fishing because of size rather than culinary value.
M