Spotted Garden Eel

The Spotted Garden Eel is one of the most visually captivating and unusual marine animals available to aquarists, famous for its colony-dwelling behavior where dozens or hundreds of individuals extend from the sandy bottom like a field of living plants swaying in the current. Each eel is slender and elongated, reaching about 16 inches in length, with a pale body densely covered in small black spots. They live in permanent burrows excavated in sandy substrate, anchoring their tails in the sand while extending their upper bodies into the water column to pluck passing zooplankton from the current.

In the wild, Spotted Garden Eels form vast colonies on sandy slopes near coral reefs, typically in areas with gentle to moderate current that carries a continuous supply of planktonic food. The sight of hundreds of eels simultaneously emerging from the sand and swaying in unison is one of the most iconic scenes on Indo-Pacific reefs. They are extremely shy and will retract completely into their burrows at the approach of divers, predators, or any perceived disturbance, re-emerging cautiously minutes later.

Keeping Spotted Garden Eels in captivity is notoriously challenging and requires a specialized setup. A deep sand bed of at least 6 to 8 inches of fine, soft sand is essential for burrow construction. The tank should be placed in a low-traffic area, as garden eels are extremely skittish and may remain permanently buried if subjected to frequent disturbances. They feed exclusively on planktonic organisms carried by the current and must be provided with a constant or near-constant supply of live or frozen planktonic foods. A group of at least three to four individuals is recommended, as they are social animals that feel more secure in the presence of conspecifics.