Eels (Muraenidae)
The Eels Family Characteristics:
Saltwater Eels are often splendidly marked and can grow very long. Many are nocturnal and are rarely seen during the day, since they hide among caves and crevices in the coral rockwork. They detect their food by smell and are usually quite undemanding in captivity, providing that they have sufficient room, refuges and food. Small fish are likely to end up being lunch sooner or later if kept in the same aquarium and the eels aquarium should be tightly covered to prevent escape.
Breeding moray eels in captivity is unlikely because sexual maturity is reached only when the eels attain a large size. This stage is not normally reached in the confines of a domestic aquarium, and so successful breeding is doubtful even if a sufficient number of specimens are kept together to allow natural pairings to take place.
The Romans valued moray eels very highly; they were kept in captivity and favorite fish were bedecked with jewels! Wealthier Romans fed spare slaves to their moray eels!
List Of Popular Aquarium Eels:
- Snowflake Moray (Echnida nebulosa)
- Reticulated Moray, Leopard Moray (Gymnothorax tesselatus)
- Black Edge Moray Eel (Gymnothorax saxicola)
- Fire Coral Eel (Gymnothorax miliaris)
- Garden Eel (Taenioconger hassi)
- Jeweled Moray Eel (Muraena lentiginosa)
- Tessalata Eel (Gymnothorax favagineus)
- Wolf Eel (Congrogadus subducens)
- Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra)
