Hawaiian garden eel

The Hawaiian garden eel[1] (Gorgasia hawaiiensis) is an eel in the family Congridae (conger/garden eels).[2] It was described by John Ernest Randall and James Robert Chess in 1980.[3] It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from the Hawaiian archipelago (from which its species epithet is derived), in the eastern central Pacific Ocean. It is non-migratory, and is thought to be restricted to the region. It dwells at a depth range of 11 to 53 metres (36 to 174 ft), and leads a benthic life, forming burrows in sand. Males can reach a maximum standard length of 59.8 centimetres (23.5 in).[2]

Hawaiian garden eel
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Congridae
Genus:	Gorgasia
Species:	G. hawaiiensis
Binomial name
Gorgasia hawaiiensis Randall & Chess, 1980

This eel appears during sunrise and returns to its burrow around sunset, making it a diurnal animal. Although burrows of this eel are more abundant in shallow water, larger burrows belonging to this eel can be found in deeper water.[4]

The Hawaiian garden eel's diet consists of zoobenthos.[5]

References

1. Common names of Gorgasia hawaiiensis at www.fishbase.org.
2. Gorgasia hawaiiensis at www.fishbase.org.
3. Randall, J. E. and J. R. Chess, 1980 [ref. 6924] A new species of garden eel (Congridae: Heterocongrinae) of the genus Gorgasia from Hawaii. Pacific Science v. 33 (no. 1): 17-23.
4. Emily Donham, Michael S. Foster, Marc R. Rice, Gregor M. Cailliet, Mary M. Yoklavich, and Scott L. Hamilton (April 2017). "Natural History Observations of Hawaiian Garden Eels, Gorgasia hawaiiensis (Congridae: Heterocongrinae), from the Island of Hawai'i". University of Hawai'i Press. 71 – via Project MUSE.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. Food items reported for Gorgasia hawaiiensis at www.fishbase.org.