All fish / Congridae

Spotted Garden Eel

Heteroconger hassi

Also known as garden eel, spotted garden eel, hass's garden eel, black-spotted garden eel, splendid garden eel, チンアナゴ, 哈氏异康吉鳗, 花园鳗

A slender white eel covered in fine dark speckles with two larger black spots, one near the gills and one around the middle of the body. It lives in burrows in sand, with most of its body hidden while the head and front section sway in the current picking plankton. Colonies make a striking and unusual display in dedicated sand-bottomed reef or species tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Colony of 3 or more

Diet

Carnivore: small frozen and live zooplankton such as mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods and finely chopped seafood, fed several times a day

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, from East Africa to Hawaii and the Society Islands

Breeding

Pairs spawn from neighbouring burrows and release eggs that drift in open water, followed by a long larval stage. Breeding has been recorded in public aquariums but is essentially unknown in home systems.

Good to know

Needs a deep bed of fine sand (at least 15 to 20 cm), a tightly covered tank and very calm, non-predatory tankmates, or it will hide and starve. Frequent small feedings of drifting food are essential and newly imported fish often refuse to eat.