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Taylor's garden eel (Heteroconger taylori) — Congridae

Taylor's garden eel

Heteroconger taylori
Family: Congridae

The Taylor's garden eel (Heteroconger taylori) is a saltwater fish of the family Congridae that grows up to 48 cm.

Length
47.9 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
5.0–15.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

Taylor's garden eel is a garden eel (Congridae) from coastal waters of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 48 cm and has a very slender, snake-shaped body with fine markings. It lives in colonies in self-dug vertical burrows in sandy bottoms near reefs, from which it protrudes its forebody to snap zooplankton from the current; when threatened it withdraws fully into the burrow. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Taylor's garden eel?

The Taylor's garden eel has a snake-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Taylor's garden eel live?

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

How big does the Taylor's garden eel get?

The Taylor's garden eel grows to a maximum of about 48 cm.

Is the Taylor's garden eel dangerous to humans?

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

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Taylors tuinaal sourced
English name
Taylor's garden eel sourced
Scientific name
Heteroconger taylori
Family
Congridae

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
47.9 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Solitary 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 Heteroconger

More from the family Congridae

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