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Galzin's garden eel (Gorgasia galzini) — Congridae

Galzin's garden eel

Gorgasia galzini
Family: Congridae

The Galzin's garden eel (Gorgasia galzini) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 53 cm.

Length
53 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
35.0–53.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

Galzin's garden eel is a garden eel (Congridae) from shallow, clear sandy water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 50 cm and has a very slender, eel-like body. It lives in colonies in which each eel sits tail-first in a self-dug vertical tube in the sand; with its forebody rising upright from the bottom it snaps at drifting zooplankton and withdraws lightning-fast into its tube when threatened. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Galzin's garden eel?

The Galzin's garden eel has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Galzin's garden eel live?

The Galzin's garden eel lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Galzin's garden eel get?

The Galzin's garden eel grows to a maximum of about 53 cm. On average the species is around 33 cm.

Is the Galzin's garden eel dangerous to humans?

No, the Galzin's garden eel is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Galzins tuinaal sourced
English name
Galzin's garden eel sourced
Scientific name
Gorgasia galzini
Family
Congridae
Other names
Speckled garden eel; Speckled garden-eel verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
53.0 verified
Average length (cm)
33.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
35.0 verified
Max depth (m)
53.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Gorgasia

More from the family Congridae

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