instead of retreating quickly back into its wreck or reef hiding place . As always with animals , especially large predators , it is of course important not to do anything that startles or threatens them .
What I have found particularly interesting in the last few years is that I am seeing more small congers , although I find getting good photographs of them very difficult as they tend to be tucked away in tight crevices and be very shy . These sightings prompt the usual question of whether there is an actual increase in numbers or if it is simply down to me getting better at spotting them . While the latter factor may play a part , I do think there are genuinely more junior congers around the reefs I frequent in South Devon . This is because , in a few cases , I have noticed them take over crevices usually occupied by tompot blennies . Such takeovers show the diminutive size of these young conger eels , but the blennies could of course have more to fear than extra competition for housing as the congers get larger ! My suspicion that congers are a potential predator of blennies as well as other fish and crustaceans was confirmed by the memorable find , several years ago , of a conger in the very slow process of
Young conger in the back of a crevice , shy and difficult to photograph
swallowing a tompot blenny that was wedged between its jaws . The blenny would have put up a fight by spreading its strong fins , but was now motionless . When I revisited the reef 12 hours later there was no sign of the blenny , just a sleepy-looking conger with a very swollen belly ! Such events appear to be quite rare , however , from the typical persistence of tompots in their territories and the observation that this blenny had made the unusually poor ( and fatal as it turned out ) decision to occupy a crevice that was part-filled with sand and so did not offer the safe ‘ inner sanctum ’ of the best tompot blenny residences . �
Paul ’ s photos and video clips capturing UK marine life stories are on Instagram @ paulnaylormarinephoto
Conger with a tompot blenny locked in its jaws , had it bitten off more than it could chew ? ( the conger is partly obscured by a topknot on the ceiling of the crevice )
… it seemed not ; 12 hrs later and no sign of the unfortunate blenny , just the conger resting with a swollen belly
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