DIVE-SEEK field image · species photo unavailablefish · eel
Spotted garden eel
Heteroconger hassi
Colony-forming eel that sways above sand and vanishes when approached.
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Quick facts
The Spotted garden eel (Heteroconger hassi) is a marine species divers can encounter. Typical size: 30–40 cm. Usually seen at 10–30 m depth. Where to see it: Komodo, Sipadan, Palau and Dauis.
Summarised from DIVE-SEEK's recorded catalogue data; omitted values are not yet recorded.
Taxonomic rank
species
Typical size
30–40 cm (total_length)
Maximum size
40 cm
Typical depth
10–30 m
Maximum depth
45 m
Conservation status
Research in progress
Photography difficulty
5 /5
Activity pattern
Diurnal.
Description
Accepted name confirmed via WoRMS (AphiaID 217552). Not a macro subject despite its slim body: the picture is the colony, not the individual. Conservation status not populated pending a verified Red List reading.
Habitat
Open sand slopes with steady current.
Behaviour
Anchors its tail in a burrow, extending into current to feed; retracts as divers approach.
Diet
Zooplankton drifting past.
Social behaviour
Dense colonies of hundreds.
Photography notes
The subject retreats before you arrive. Long lens, slow crawl on the sand, or a remote-triggered camera.
Ask about Spotted garden eel
Answers are built only from our cited catalogue records — where data is missing, the assistant says so instead of guessing.
Where to see it
Destinations
Encounter records link species to destinations only when a verified source supports them.
Provenance — each verified claim is linked to its source as records are published.