Spotted Garden Eel, scientifically known as Heteroconger hassi, is a type of eel in the Congridae family. It lives in the Indo-Pacific region.
You can usually find this eel in groups of hundreds on sandy slopes less than 15 meters deep. When approached, it hides in the burrows.
Spotted Garden Eels feed on tiny animals called zooplankton in their natural environment. Be careful with them around coral reefs since they might cause some damage.
Spotted Garden Eel Interesting Facts
- Spotted Garden Eels live in large groups on sandy slopes in the Indo-Pacific region, hiding in burrows when approached.
- They feed on zooplankton and grow up to 15.7 inches (40.0 centimeters) in length, with 163 to 177 vertebrae and no dorsal or anal spines.
- Their unique appearance includes small black spots all over their white bodies and two large black patches near the gill opening and anus.
Spotted Garden Eel Habitat
Spotted Garden Eel is found in the Indo-Pacific region. Its habitat ranges from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Society Islands, up north to Japan’s Ryukyu and Ogasawara islands, and down south to Australia and New Caledonia.
This fish lives in coral reefs at depths of 5 to 50 meters (16 to 164 feet) below sea level. It prefers tropical waters with a latitude range of 30°N to 23°S.
Spotted Garden Eel doesn’t migrate and is common throughout Micronesia.
| Water Temperature: | Unknown |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
Spotted Garden Eel Physical Characteristics
Size: 15.7 inches (40.0 centimeters)
Spotted Garden Eel grows up to 15.7 inches (40.0 centimeters) long.
It has no dorsal or anal spines, but it does have 449 to 540 dorsal soft rays and 273 to 334 anal soft rays. This eel has 163 to 177 vertebrae.
Spotted Garden Eel is white with many small black spots all over its body. It also has two large black patches near the gill opening and anus.
The front part of its body is about 14 mm thick. Its nostrils are connected in a continuous flap around the mouth. The pectoral fins on this eel are very small.
The start of its anal fin lines up with vertebrae numbers 59 to 66. Also, Spotted Garden Eel’s dorsal fin starts slightly ahead of the gill opening.
Spotted Garden Eel Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Congridae |
| Genus: | Heteroconger |
| Scientific Name: | Heteroconger hassi |
| Also Known As: | Spotted Garden Eel |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |