The Hawaiian Garden Eels are small benthic eels, which spend the majority of their life burrowed or partially burrowed in the sand. They form dense colonies on sand flats and feed on zooplankton. They have only been found in the Eastern Central Pacific, probably limited to the Hawaiian archipelago.

Reference 1

Benthic, burrowing in sand (Ref. 58302). Feeds on zooplankton.

The distribution of this species is restricted solely to around the Hawaiian island chain where most are seen around the main island, but some colonies are found off smaller nearby reefs. Garden eels in general are found nearby tropical and subtropical reefs around Pacific and Carribean.

Reference 1

Eastern Central Pacific: probably restricted to the Hawaiian archipelago.

The body is very round and smooth with a extendanble dorsal and absent anal fins in order to facilitate tail-first burrowing. The color ranges from gray-brown to gray-green depending on the color of the sand they live in. The tip of the tail has a yellow, tough hardened point, evolved to make burrowing easier.

Reference 2

Max Size: 59.8cm SL male/unsexed around 0.7cm in width. Most individuals are measured around 40-50cm. They have small heads at the end of a long body and have small upward pointing mouths.

Reference 1

Maximum size: 598 mm SL

59.8 cm SL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 10385))

The body is extremely elongate. It has 83 lateral-line pores posterior to the gill opening and 170 total vetebrae. Mouth is large and oblique, forming about a 30 degree angle to the horizontal. It has shortened pectoral fins, which are situated parallel to the axis of the gill opening. A group of 8 stout incurved canine teeth are found on the premaxilla and the lower jaw contains three rows of canines in the front which reduces to a single larger row of incurved teeth.

Reference 5

They form colonies of burrows tens to hundreds of individuals strong, which they live in all their life. Their prefered placement for such colonies is the "coral sands" which tend to accumulate just off coral reefs of the broken bodies of dead corals. They also tend to be found in places with a slight currents as this helps them in their feeding behavior of waiting for food to come into their reach.

Reference 3

Depth: 0 - 18m.
Recorded at 18 meters.

Habitat: demersal. Feeds on zooplankton.

demersal; non-migratory; marine; depth range 11 - 53 m (Ref. 58302)

none

The adult forms of the Hawaiian Garden eel are completely sedentary, remaining in their burrows within their colony their entire life. However, the leptochephalus larva of the some species have been found in the open ocean, presumably feeding on zooplankton and floating with the current. This is thought to be their method for dispersal through larval drifting.

Reference 4

Feeds on zooplankton.

The Hawaiian Garden eel's life and feeding methods is very much localized around their burrows. Whole colonies will feed by extending around half of their bodies out of their burrows, facing into the current and swaying back and forth in a gentle undulating fashion (2). They then wait and feed on the zooplankton and detritus that drifts within the reach of their mouths (5). They are visually dependant feeders, so hence are only seen out of their burrows feeding during the day. They are thought to be such shy creatures due to the open nature of their habitat and the threat of predators such as hammerhead sharks and rays (6).

Reference 2,5,6

Hawaiian Garden eels form curved burrows in sand flats around 33-177 ft down. In these burrows, they spend most of their time half exposed (head first) and gently undulating in the water while picking out zooplankton and detritus to eat. While feeding as a colony, the individuals sway back and forth in a gentle undulating motion, allowing them to imitate a bed of seagrass. They can form large colonies of up to thousands of individuals, all in burrows around 10 inches apart. They are extremely timid and the slighted stimulus or movement can cause the entire colony to retreat quickly back into their burrows and remain there for several minutes.

Reference 2

They are pelagic spawners, meaning that they release their eggs into the current (6). Like all Elopomorphs, the Hawaiian Garden eels has leptocephalus larva, which have a radically different body type to that of the adult. These swim around in the open current and have been even been collected far out to sea (4). They eventually swim to a suitable habitat on the sea floor and mature into adults.

Reference 4,6

Males have been observed moving their burrows closer to females during mating season (4), but mating has not been observed, since the eels have not been recorded out of their burrows. They are pelagic spawners, meaning that they release their eggs into the current (6). Like all Elopomorphs, the Hawaiian Garden eels has leptocephalus larva, which have a radically different body type to that of the adult. These swim around in the open current and have been even been collected far out to sea (4).

Reference 4,6

Because of its limited contact and relevance to humans and fishing, the Hawaiian Garden eels is unlikely to become extinct in the near future.

The only consevation issue with the Hawaiian Garden Eel is its limited distribution to just off the coast of the Hawaiian islands. However, it is not fished or collected and tends to have very little human contact due to its extremely shy nature and its chosen habitat being located outside of the popular coral reefs. Some of its food is produced by reef activity. So, like many other fish, it is dependant on the protection and preservation of coral reefs around which it lives.

The Hawaiian Garden eel population is fairly stable, however restricted off the reefs surrounding the Hawaiian islands.

Becuse this species has such a restricted distribution, a possible threat to the population could be a localized disaster or pollution. However, this is highly unlikely of happening due to strong conservation movements protecting many of the waters off Hawaii.

Not Evaluated

This species has little contact or value to humans and is not particularly essential for the ecosystem which it lives.