Gorgasia is one of the two genera that belong to the subfamily Heterocongrinae. This genus is classified by the behavioral pattern of burrowing 75% of their bodies in the sandy substrate they live in and protruding their upper body into the water current above, giving the appearance that they are planted into the ground. This protruding behavior serves a multipurpose functionality to their survival.
The garden eels are the subfamily Heterocongrinae in the conger eel family Congridae. The majority of garden eels live in the Indo-Pacific, but species are also found in warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean and East Pacific. These small eels live in burrows on the sea floor and get their name from their practice of poking their heads from their burrows while most of their bodies remain hidden. Since they tend to live in groups, the many eel heads "growing" from the sea floor resemble the plants in a garden. They vary greatly in colour depending on the exact species involved. The largest species reaches about 120 cm (47 in) in length, but most species do not surpass 60 cm (24 in). Garden eel colonies can grow as large as one acre in surface area.
The tropical conger, also known as the Scheele's conger, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Pehr Hugo Strömman in 1896, originally under the genus Leptocephalus. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-Pacific, including Natal and Mozambique. It inhabits reefs in lagoons, and is known to dwell at a depth of 9 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in).
The Bullish conger is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by David G. Smith and Robert H. Kanazawa in 1977, originally under the genus Rhechias. It is a marine, deep water-dwelling eel which is known from the Gulf of Mexico to the Amazon, in the western Atlantic Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 366–475 meters. Males can reach a maximum total length of 39.5 centimeters.
The Hawaiian garden eel is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by John Ernest Randall and James Robert Chess in 1980. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Hawaiian archipelago, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. It is non-migratory, and is thought to be restricted to the region. It dwells at a depth range of 11 to 53 metres, and leads a benthic life, forming burrows in sand. Males can reach a maximum standard length of 59.8 centimetres (23.5 in).
Gorgasia inferomaculata is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Jacques Blache in 1977. It is a non-migratory marine, tropical eel which is known from the Gulf of Guinea, in the eastern central Atlantic Ocean.
The Pacific spaghetti eel is a sand dwelling eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Tokiharu Abe, M. Miki and Minoru Asai in 1977. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling eel which is known from the northwestern and southwestern Pacific Ocean, including Japan and New Zealand. It dwells at a maximum depth of 30 metres (98 ft). It is non-migratory, and inhabits sand flats near reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 100 centimetres (39 in); the diameter of the body is approximately 10 millimetres. Spaghetti eels will typically occur in large groups that can consist of hundreds of eels.
The Klausewitz's garden eel is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Jean-Claude Quéro and Luiz Vieria Caldas Saldanha in 1995. It is a marine, tropical eel, which is known from the Indian Ocean, including the Andaman Islands, Réunion, Mauritius, and the Comoros Islands. It dwells at a depth range of 170 to 225 metres, and forms large colonies consisting of hundreds of individual eels. Males can reach a maximum total length of 75.1 centimetres (29.6 in).
The whitespotted garden eel, also known as the Indian spaghetti eel, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Wolfgang Klausewitz and Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt in 1959. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific, including Maldives, the Solomon Islands, the Philippines, the Cocos Islands, Comoros, India, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It dwells at a depth range of 25 to 48 metres, and lives in non-migratory colonies that form burrows on sandy slopes, usually near coral reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 70 centimetres (28 in).
Gorgasia naeocepaea, the freckled garden eel, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by James Erwin Böhlke in 1951, originally under the genus Taenioconger. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western central Pacific Ocean, including the Philippines and Indonesia. It is known to inhabit sandy regions, and dwells at a depth range of 10 to 24 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 75 centimetres (30 in).
The dotted garden eel, also known as the peppered garden eel, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Seth Eugene Meek and Samuel Frederick Hildebrand in 1923. It is a nonmigratory tropical, marine eel which is known from the eastern central Pacific Ocean, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Males can reach a maximum total length of 50 cm.
Gorgasia sillneri is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Wolfgang Klausewitz in 1962. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea, in the western Indian Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 83.8 centimetres (33.0 in).
The sharp-nose garden eel is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Shao Kwang-Tsao in 1990. It is a marine, subtropical eel which is known from Taiwan and southern Japan, in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. It is non-migratory, and dwells at a depth range of 14 to 22 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 74.1 centimetres (29.2 in). It can be identified by the shape of its snout.
Gorgasia thamani is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by David Wayne Greenfield and Sean Niesz in 2004. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Fiji, in the western central Pacific Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth range of 14 to 15 metres. Males can reach a maximum total length of 119 centimetres (47 in).
Heteroconger balteatus is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John Ernest Randall in 1999. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, in the western Indian Ocean. It is known to dwell at a minimum depth of 46 m (151 ft), and inhabits regions of current, where it forms burrows in sand. It enters its burrows tail-first. Females can reach a maximum total length of 33.1 cm.
The white-ring garden eel, also known as the Cape garden eel in Mexico, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Garry I. McTaggart-Cowan and Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt in 1974, originally under the genus Taenioconger. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Gulf of California, in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. It is known to dwell at a depth of 20 m (66 ft), and inhabits sand sediments near reefs, where it forms burrows in nonmigratory colonies. Males can reach a maximum total length of 80 cm.
The enigma garden eel is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John Ernest Randall in 1999. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It dwells at a depth range of 3 to 25 m, and inhabits regions with dark, silty sand and seagrass of the genus Holiphila. Males can reach a maximum total length of 43.7 cm, while females can reach 41.6 cm.
Heteroconger mercyae, or Mercy's garden eel, is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Gerald R. Allen and Mark van Nydeck Erdmann in 2009. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and possibly New Britain. It is known to dwell at a depth of 4 to 10 m, and inhabit sediments of silt-like sand. Males can reach a maximum total length of 67.8 cm (26.7 in).
The black garden eel is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by James Erwin Böhlke and John Ernest Randall in 1981. It is a tropical, nonmigratory marine eel which is known from the western Pacific Ocean, including Ambon, Indonesia, and Negros, Philippines. It dwells at a depth range of 1–35 m. It leads a benthic lifestyle, and inhabits sand or mud, living solitary or in colonies. Males can reach a maximum total length of 53.7 cm.
Tricia's garden eel is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John Ernest Randall in 1999. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Flores, Indonesia, in the eastern Indian Ocean. Males can reach a maximum total length of 49.6 cm (19.5 in).
