Scientific name : Heteroconger hassi
Family : Congridae (conger eels and garden eels, 197 species)
Size : Up to 45 cm
Distribution : Indian Ocean and tropical Pacific
Biology : The spotted garden eel is characterised by its sedentary lifestyle. It lives buried in the sand, only partially emerging to capture zooplankton drifting within its reach. Generally gregarious, it forms colonies that, seen from a distance, resemble a garden, hence its name. Despite their peaceful nature, territorial conflicts can arise within colonies. In such cases, the dominated eel will move to settle out of reach of the dominant individual. Such movements are rare, as this species is not very mobile.
IUCN status : Least concern
