what kind of eel is this??????

polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
Help! I've been trying to figure out forever what kind of eels I have here! They were sold as "Ghost Eels", but look nothing like the ghost eels I've seen pictures of. Someone suggested it was a unicolor reef eel. But upon further investigation, they look too dissimilar. I've checked books, the web, local fish stores. No luck. The closest I've come to a picutre that is similar to my eels is one from Scott Michaels "Reef Fishes Vol. 1". Is it Pseudechidna brummeri? If so, my eels behave nothing like these "cryptic, difficult, delicate" eels described as Pseudechidna brummeri. I have two of them--they are stark white and somewhat luminescent, about 1/2" wide, with semi-transparent dorsals--they look silky and ethereal. My largest is nearly 30 inches and just today ate my fat 2.5" percula clown (which is truly amazing)! These things eat everything in site and then some. They are aggressive, pugnacious, and sometimes try to swallow each other whole. What the heck are they???????????????????
 
polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
Thanks, but it has all the features of a moray of some kind...and that conger looks a little large to be my eel. Here's a picture of their faces, maybe it will help shed some light on my identification dilemma.
 
eelfreakrobi

eelfreakrobi

Member
The only info I could say about the congers is that they are very agressive will eat small fish, and are nocturnal, like and dont grow very big.
 
polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
:)!
You should have seen my 1.5 foot Tesselata when it ate my 7" Kllunzinger Wrasse! That's why he has his own tank now! I got a pic of the slaughter...it's fuzzy, but I dialed up the sharpness...and if you look closely you can see the fish in the eels mouth. Word to the wise, do NOT house anything smaller than a loaf of bread with a Tesselata!
 
stacyt

stacyt

Active Member
I have the same eel. I've never had mine eat anything other than what I feed it. I feed it a varies diet of frozen fish, krill, silver sides, etc. I've been told that it is a ghost ribbon eel, but if you look in the conscientious marine aquarist by robert fener he calls them a gray moray eel. In talking with the owner of the LFS he told me that these are not the same as the normal ribbon eel, and he has never had a problem getting these species to eat.
 
polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
I looked at the Gray Moray, and I believe it gets too large (thick) to be the eels we are talking about--though from pictures, it does look very similar. I suppose it could be a Gray Moray.
How big is yours? It's never tried to eat your fish? My big one just got nasty about 2 months ago. He twice tried to swallow my smaller white eel (that I actually saw)--and just yesterday ate my percula. I've seen him go after my scooter blenny and small niger trigger and he's eaten every peppermint shrimp I've put in the tank. It's all so bizarre because these things have little mouths--and that fish was pretty large comparatively. They eat everything from frozen shrimp to squid to tuna to beef (from feeder tongs). They even eat flake food, if they can figure out where it is.
I'd say whatever they are, they are GOOD eaters--mine are also very active in the tank and fairly gentle on my few corals. I rescued them both in the early summer from a local pet store that was getting rid of its saltwater displays (because everything in the store was dying!) Except for the expensive meals the large one has consumed (!), I love them. They are really interesting morays!
Thanks for the reply!
 
stacyt

stacyt

Active Member
My eel is about 3' in length. I'vr had him since around March or April of this year. He has never bothered any of the fish or inverts in the tank. He's actually a real wimp. When it comes to feeding time I have to keep my velvet wrasse, and maroon clown, at bay while the eel eats. Otherwise the maroon and wrasse will chase the eel off and eat his food. At one time I had some corals in the tank, and he never bothered them. He is my favorite out of all my eels. He is really active even durring the day. All of my other eels, In seperate tanks of course, only come out when they no its close to feeding time. I have a pix posted on my web site
 
polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
I believe we have a winner!
That's definately my eel! I looked up the unicolor before in a book, and it looked nothing like this one! Bizarre....I should have gone to fishbase first!
Wonderful. THANK YOU!
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
i have had 3 eels, one killed everything that came into contact with it. (he went home to the lfs ) , one jumped out. (the death of dandruff the snowflake eel.) and one is too stupid to catch anything. (squiggly the chain link) he has been getting quicker. eels are very agressive creatures from what i have read. i have watched a 4 foot moray eat about 3-4 lbs of blue runners in one sitting.
 
polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
Crikey!
All my eels are psychos.
Otto, my tesselata is a beast, too (now 24"). Chowed DOWN on my Klunzinger (7")...Milton, my 15" blackedge (and first eel) ate about $120 worth of fish before I learned my lesson with these animals. Harlan, my 10-12" snowflake is mellow and docile--but is constantly trying to liberate himself. My white eels (30" is the largest) are simply obnoxious (they live in my quasi-reef tank). Eels are my favorite marine animal. Even all the headaches they've given me, I won't part with any of them. (Unless they start to eat each other!) Am planning to get my 300g set up this spring (need to make room for the growth of the tess). Three eels and a stingray in that tank. Groovy.
No green morays here ,though. Those things are the butt-kickers of the eel world--and too nutty for my tank.
 
von_rahvin

von_rahvin

Member
i have gotten to pet some. of of boca (down south in florida) there is a tame pair. they are about 10 feet long. i found them accidently one day. turns out they get fed by dive boats. so here i come down the reef and these 2 HUGE moray's pop out of the reef and swim on over to me like dogs. i freeze, so they swim on over and twirl around me. i stupidly try to pet one and, i don't get bit. ( i have since realized that it would have been a really bad idea with any other except for these 2.) my dad turns the corner and sees me in between these 2 eels and about blows a fuse. this was about 5 years ago. i still go visit them from time to time. only now i bring a blue runner or 2 for snacks. :D wonderful creatures.
 
polarpooch

polarpooch

Active Member
Wowwwwwwww. Really! I would LOVE to see a 10 foot moray! I have only seen one moray come out of his cave while diving (in Jamaica). A big green monster...I would say 6-7 feet right near my face--I nearly spit out my regulator-- I didn't even think of petting him! Lucky you! Wish you had pics you could share!
DiveDiveDIVE!
 
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