Eels
Most eels are easily kept in a large aquarium, although several species such as the blue ribbon eel should usually be avoided. With any moray eel care must be taken to secure the lid as one of the most common causes of death is escaping from the tank, and onto the floor.
| Common name | Image | Taxonomy | Reef safe | Care Level | Description | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banded snake eel | Myrichthys colubrinus | No | Easy | 700197000000000000097 cm (38.2 in) | ||
| Banded eel | Echidna polyzona | No | Intermediate | 700169000000000000069 cm (27.2 in) | ||
| Black edge moray eel | Gymnothorax saxicola | No | Moderate | 700160000000000000060 cm (23.6 in) | ||
| Blue ribbon eel, black ribbon eel | Rhinomuraena quaesita | No | Difficult | 7002130000000000000130 cm (51.2 in) | ||
| Chainlink moray eel | Echidna catenata | No | Easy | Can be kept with fish too small to swallow | 7002165000000000000165 cm (65.0 in) | |
| Dragon moray eel | Enchelycore pardalis | No | Easy | A fish eater that will eat anything it can fit in its mouth. When available is typically quite expensive | 700192000000000000092 cm (36.2 in) | |
| Golden dwarf eel | Gymnothorax melatremus | Yes | Moderate | Rarely available, among the smallest of the moray eels | 700126000000000000026 cm (10.2 in) | |
| Golden moray eel | Gymnothorax miliaris | May eat fish and shrimp | Easy to moderate | These fish should only be kept in fish-only tanks as any small invertebrates will be looked on as food. Keep with fish large enough not to be eaten. Feed on a diet of whitefish, cockles, cod roe, haddock and frozen foods. | 700170000000000000070.0 cm (27.6 in) | |
| Green moray eel | Gymnothorax funebris | No | Difficult | Requires a 180 gallon tank with tight fitting lid. Compatible with rays, sharks, and other large fish. | 7002250000000000000250 cm (98.4 in) | |
| Jeweled moray eel | Muraena lentiginosa | No | Easy | 700161000000000000061 cm (24.0 in) | ||
| Kidako moray eel | Gymnothorax kidako | No | Easy | 700191000000000000091 cm (35.8 in) | ||
| Peppered moray | Gymnothorax picta | No | Moderate | 7002135000000000000135 cm (53.1 in) | ||
| Snowflake eel | Echidna nebulosa | May eat shrimp if underfed | Easy | A pebble-tooth moray that generally eats crustaceans and similar. Safer in reef aquariums than other species but be prepared to remove it in case it starts to eat desired invetebrates. | 7002100000000000000100 cm (39.4 in) | |
| Spotted garden-eel | Taenioconger hassi | With Caution | Difficult | Rarely available, best avoided by inexperienced aquarists | 700140000000000000040 cm (15.7 in) | |
| Spotted Snake eel | Myrichthys maculosus | No | Moderate | Requires at least six in of substrate | 7002100000000000000100 cm (39.4 in) | |
| Tessalata eel, or laced moray | Gymnothorax favagineus | No | Easy | 7002300000000000000300 cm (118.1 in) | ||
| Yellowhead moray eel | Gymnothorax fimbriatus | No | Easy | 700180000000000000080 cm (31.5 in) | ||
| Yellow mouth moray eel | Gymnothorax nudivomer | No | Intermediate | 7002178000000000000178 cm (70.1 in) | ||
| Whitemouth moray eel | Gymnothorax meleagris | With Caution | Intermediate | 7002120000000000000120 cm (47.2 in) | ||
| Carpet eel-blenny | Congrogadus subducens | No | Easy | Actually a Dottyback, but has the body shape of an eel. | 700145000000000000045 cm (17.7 in) | |
| Zebra moray | Gymnomuraena zebra | No | Easy | One of the easier moray eels to keep, is usually safe with most fish but will eat most invertebrates. | 7002150000000000000150 cm (59.1 in) |
Read more about this topic: List Of Marine Aquarium Fish Species
Famous quotes containing the word eels:
“Going down for the last time, the last breath lying,
I grapple with eels like ropes—it’s ether, it’s queer
and then, at last, it’s done. Now the scavengers arrive,
the hard crawlers who come to clean up the ocean floor.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)