Spotted Garden Eel (Gorgasia maculata)
Fish in the family Congridae. Hard care. Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
Spotted Garden Eels are slender, elongated fish with a tan to yellowish-brown base color heavily marked with dark brown or black spots and reticulations throughout the body. They have a small mouth adapted for plankton feeding and typically remain partially buried in sand with only the upper portion of their body exposed. Their eyes are positioned high on the head for feeding while remaining anchored in substrate.
Diet and feeding
Feed small copepods, amphipods, and other zooplankton. Live foods are preferred; frozen mysis shrimp can supplement. Feed small portions 2–3 times daily. A refugium stocked with copepod populations is highly beneficial.
Difficulty and care for the Spotted Garden Eel
Spotted Garden Eels are challenging captive fish requiring specialized care. They need extensive sand substrate for burrowing behavior and are prone to starvation if not provided appropriate small live foods and gentle water conditions.
Common health issues
Starvation, parasitic infections, stress-related decline, sand erosion of gills
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region, including the Red Sea, East Africa, and extending through the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific. Found in shallow reef environments and sandy areas adjacent to coral structures.
Log Spotted Garden Eel in your reef tank
Reef Trak gives you the full record on every species in your tank: acquisition date, source, photos, parameters at time of stocking, and links to maintenance and feeding events. Track Spotted Garden Eel alongside everything else in your reef.
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