Sharptail Eel

The Sharptail Eel is one of the most peaceful and reef-friendly eel species available to marine aquarists. Unlike the often intimidating moray eels, this snake eel has a gentle, inquisitive disposition and a slender, elongated body covered in an attractive pattern of dark spots and pale cream to white base coloration. Its pointed tail, which gives the species its common name, is used to burrow tail-first into sandy substrates, a characteristic behavior of the Ophichthidae family of snake eels.

In the wild, Sharptail Eels are found in sandy and rubble zones near coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and Western Atlantic. They spend much of the day buried in the sand with only their head protruding, emerging primarily at night to hunt for small crustaceans, worms, and mollusks in the substrate. This burrowing lifestyle means they require a deep sand bed of at least four inches in the home aquarium to accommodate their natural behavior. Without adequate sand depth, they may become stressed and attempt to escape.

In the home aquarium, the Sharptail Eel is surprisingly easy to care for and is one of the few eel species that can be considered truly reef-safe. It poses no threat to fish tankmates that are too large to swallow, and its diet of invertebrates found within the sand bed means it generally leaves ornamental corals and most decorative invertebrates alone. A secure lid is still necessary as all eels are potential escape artists. Its peaceful nature and interesting burrowing behavior make it a unique and engaging addition to a reef aquarium with a deep sand bed.