Ocean PoutorConger Eel

Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.

Studio photograph of an Ocean Pout (Zoarces americanus), side view, on a white background — **Ocean Pout***Zoarces americanus*

Studio photograph of a Conger Eel (Conger oceanicus), side view, on a white background — **Conger Eel***Conger oceanicus*

Rules for both fish from 5 state rulebooks, checked Oct 28, 2026. Every rule names its source and the day it was last checked; the official rulebook is the final word.

How to tell them apart

Ocean Pout

Eel-shaped body with a frog face and fleshy lips; single long dorsal running to the tail.

Conger Eel

Gray scaleless eel whose dorsal starts right behind the pectorals; upper jaw overhangs the lower.

Conger eel, next to ocean pout: true eel shape, no frog face.

Side by side

	Ocean Pout	Conger Eel
Scientific name	Zoarces americanus	Conger oceanicus
Also called	—	—
Waters	Inshore	Nearshore
Heaviest state record	—	30 lb 2.24 oz · Mississippi (2025)
On the table	Not kept — release.	Firm; a delicacy in Europe, ignored here.
Rules of its own in	5 states	0 states

Rules for

Every state, both fish

The two fish are regulated differently in 5 of 5 states with a rule for either. In Connecticut, ocean pout is —, No retention while conger eel has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.

State	Ocean Pout: size · bag · season	Conger Eel: size · bag · season
Connecticut	—No retentionProhibitedPut it backFederal rule (New England federal waters)NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-10-28	Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies.
Maine	—No retentionProhibitedPut it backFederal rule (New England federal waters)NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-10-28	Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies.
Massachusetts	—No retentionProhibitedPut it backFederal rule (New England federal waters)NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-10-28	Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies.
New Hampshire	Possession prohibitedPossession prohibitedClosed year-roundPut it backNH F&G 2026 · checked 2026-10-12	Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies.
Rhode Island	—No retentionProhibitedPut it backFederal rule (New England federal waters)NOAA GARFO 2026 · checked 2026-10-28	Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies.

Questions anglers ask

How do you tell ocean pout from conger eel?

Ocean Pout: Eel-shaped body with a frog face and fleshy lips; single long dorsal running to the tail. Conger Eel: Gray scaleless eel whose dorsal starts right behind the pectorals; upper jaw overhangs the lower. Conger eel, next to ocean pout: true eel shape, no frog face.

Which is better to eat, ocean pout or conger eel?

Ocean Pout: Not kept — release. Conger Eel: Firm; a delicacy in Europe, ignored here.

Do ocean pout and conger eel have the same limits?

Not everywhere. They differ in 5 state rulebooks. Connecticut: ocean pout —, No retention, conger eel no rule of its own; Maine: ocean pout —, No retention, conger eel no rule of its own; Massachusetts: ocean pout —, No retention, conger eel no rule of its own; New Hampshire: ocean pout Possession prohibited, Possession prohibited, conger eel no rule of its own; Rhode Island: ocean pout —, No retention, conger eel no rule of its own.