| Spotted garden eel | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Congridae |
| Genus: | Heteroconger |
| Species: | H. hassi |
| Binomial name | |
| Heteroconger hassi (Klausewitz & Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1959) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
The spotted garden eel (Heteroconger hassi) is a heteroconger belonging to the family Congridae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific.
The spotted garden eel is a small fish that can reach a maximum length of 40 centimetres (16 in; 1.3 ft). Its body is anguiform (eel-like): long, thin, with a circular cross-section (14 millimetres (0.55 in) in average diameter) and a head of the same diameter as the body. The head appears shortened because the large mouth is close to the also large eyes. Nostrils are small and positioned in the center of the upper lip.
The body is white and covered with many small black spots. The spotted garden eel has three larger distinctive black spots; the first identifies the gills opening and the position of the tiny pectoral fins, the second is located in the central part of the body and the third one surrounds the anus. Juveniles have a very thin black body. [3]
The spotted garden eel is widespread throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific from the eastern coasts of Africa including the Red Sea to Polynesia, and south from Japan to New Caledonia. [4]
It lives exclusively in variously sized colonies on sandy bottoms that are exposed to currents, at depths from 15 to 45 meters. [5] It digs a burrow from which emerges about a third of its body pointing their mouths towards the underwater current to catch drifting food. [6]
As in other heteroconger species, individuals rarely leave their burrow once it is finished, but will move burrows closer together during breeding season until contact between partners is possible. Fertilized eggs and juveniles have a planktonic period before reaching sufficient size to start living in the substrate. [3]
The zebra shark is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, frequenting coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of 62 m (203 ft). Adult zebra sharks are distinctive in appearance, with five longitudinal ridges on a cylindrical body, a low caudal fin comprising nearly half the total length, and usually a pattern of dark spots on a pale background. Young zebra sharks under 50–90 cm (20–35 in) long have a completely different pattern, consisting of light vertical stripes on a brown background, and lack the ridges. This species attains a length of 2.5 m (8.2 ft).
The pennant coralfish, also known as the longfin bannerfish, reef bannerfish or coachman, is a species of fish of the family Chaetodontidae, native to the Indo-Pacific area.
Heteroconger is a genus of marine congrid eels. These small, slender garden eels live in groups where each individual has its own burrow. Usually, only the head and front half of the body is visible. The greatest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific, but species are also found in the warmer parts of the Atlantic and the eastern Pacific. Its name relates to how a huge colony of the eels looks swaying in the current.
The slippery dick is a species of wrasse native to shallow, tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.
Gorgasia preclara, the splendid garden eel or orange-barred garden eel, is a species of marine garden eel.
The schooling bannerfish, also known as the false moorish idol, is a marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the family Chaetodontidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific area.
Novaculichthys taeniourus, also known as the rockmover wrasse, carpet wrasse, dragon wrasse, bar-cheeked wrasse, olive-scribbled wrasse or reindeer wrasse, is a species of wrasse mainly found in coral reefs and lagoons in the Indo-Pacific region. These include habitats in the Gulf of California to Panama; tropical Pacific Ocean islands including Hawaii; the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia; and the Indian Ocean to the east coast of Africa. The common name, "rockmover wrasse", comes from their behavior of upending small stones and reef fragments in search of prey. This species is the only known member of its genus.
Halichoeres chrysus, commonly called the canary wrasse, golden wrasse or yellow wrasse, is a fish species in the wrasse family native to central Indo-Pacific area.
The honeycomb grouper, also known as black-spotted rock-cod, common birdwire rockcod, dwarf spotted rockcod, dwarf-spotted grouper, honeycomb cod, wire-netted reefcod or wire-netting cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution where it is found in coastal and offshore reefs in shallow waters.
The barred thicklip wrasse, Hemigymnus fasciatus, is a species of fish belonging to the wrasse family, native from the Indo-Pacific.
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 Heterochongrinae 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.
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.
The zebra garden eel is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1868. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Indo-Western Pacific, including the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Vanuatu. It inhabits shallow waters at a depth range of 1 to 10 m, and forms burrows in colonies of moderate size on sand sediments in bays, slopes and reefs. Males can reach a maximum total length of 34.7 cm.
Taylor's garden-eel is a heteroconger belonging to the family Congridae. It is native to the central Indo-Pacific.
Heteroconger tomberua is an eel in the family Congridae. It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John Ernest Randall in 1995. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the western central Pacific Ocean, including Fiji and possibly New Caledonia, the Philippines, the Nicobar Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Sri Lanka. It is known to dwell at a depth of 36 m (118 ft). Males can reach a maximum total length of 42.8 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).
Macolor macularis, the midnight snapper, midnight seaperch or black and white snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a snapper belonging to the family Lutjanidae. It is native to the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.
Data related to Heteroconger hassi at Wikispecies
Media related to Heteroconger hassi at Wikimedia Commons  | This Anguilliformes article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
