denise
07-05-2009, 06:49 PM
Garden eels are small (pencil-thin) conger eels that inhibit burrows in sandy flat areas where currents are common. Each constructs their own burrow by digging out the sand with their strong muscular tails. Their skin has a special gland that secretes slime, that makes the sand stick together, so the burrow does not collapse. Each eel lives in their borrow that they rarely, if ever, leave! They even manage to feed from their borrows!
When hungry, garden eels raise up out of their borrows, keeping their tail inside. They stick their head and about 2/3 of their body outside to face the current. They feed on plankton and detritus that drifts past them. Garden eels live in colonies that range in size from a few animals to several hundreds. Large colonies look like a field of grass as they sway back and forth while feeding in the current. Garden eels are very shy creatures, and will withdraw rapidly back into their burrows as danger approaches.
There are two species of garden eels found around Florida, the brown garden eel and the yellow garden eel.
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/gardeneels_1.jpg
Brown Garden eel, Heteroconger longissimus, Boynton Beach
Brown garden eels are dark brown to gray in color, and usually found living in colonies, in sandy areas 15-200 feet deep. They have large eyes, their lower jaw is slightly lower than their upper jaw and in their small (10-15 inch body), they have more than 150 vertebrae!
When hungry, garden eels raise up out of their borrows, keeping their tail inside. They stick their head and about 2/3 of their body outside to face the current. They feed on plankton and detritus that drifts past them. Garden eels live in colonies that range in size from a few animals to several hundreds. Large colonies look like a field of grass as they sway back and forth while feeding in the current. Garden eels are very shy creatures, and will withdraw rapidly back into their burrows as danger approaches.
There are two species of garden eels found around Florida, the brown garden eel and the yellow garden eel.
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/gardeneels_1.jpg
Brown Garden eel, Heteroconger longissimus, Boynton Beach
Brown garden eels are dark brown to gray in color, and usually found living in colonies, in sandy areas 15-200 feet deep. They have large eyes, their lower jaw is slightly lower than their upper jaw and in their small (10-15 inch body), they have more than 150 vertebrae!