Pacific Spaghetti Eel

The Pacific spaghetti eel is a long, slender fish found in the temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean, with an abundance near Japan and New Zealand. They are a species of garden eel and spend their lives half-buried in sand flats near reef systems. You will find them swaying with the ocean current in large colonies, mouths open and waiting for passing zooplankton. This particular species is relatively new and unstudied, but we can infer some information from the garden eel family.

Amazing Facts About the Pacific Spaghetti Eel

• They use their slender, pointed tails to dig their burrows and secrete a slimy, cement-like solution that hardens the hole’s walls.
• Their most notable features are their large eyes, which aid them in spotting microscopic plankton or nearby intruders. 
• This species is endemic to the Pacific Ocean near Japan.

Classification and Scientific Name

The Pacific spaghetti eel (Gorgasia japonica) belongs to the Anguilliformes (eel) order in the Congridae family, which encompasses the garden eels. The Gorgasia genus consists of 14 long, slender eel species that burrow 75% of their body in the sandy floor. 

Appearance

The Pacific spaghetti eel is a long, slender fish that can reach up to 39 inches long, with a diameter of approximately 10 millimeters. Their large mouths are right below their equally large eyes, and their head is the same width as their body. Spaghetti eels are tan, black, and almost translucent-looking. And like other garden eels, they have pointed tails perfect for digging burrows.

Evolution and History

This species is mainly unstudied. Therefore, we know little about their history. Most garden eels are not used by humans, except occasionally in the aquarium industry. But like other eels, their ancestors date back to the Eocene period when their life began in the Western Pacific and dispersed from there.

Behavior

All species from the garden eel family behave much the same way. They spend their lives with their bottom half buried in the seafloor and the other half swaying with the ebb and flow of the current. They do not use hunting techniques to catch food. Instead, they leave their mouths open in the direction of the current and wait for their food to pass by. In fact, they do not leave their burrows for much of their existence, except during the spawning season (and only briefly). They also live in large colonies with hundreds of other spaghetti eels. 

Habitat

This species inhabits the temperate waters of the northwestern and southwestern Pacific oceans, which include Japan and New Zealand. The Pacific spaghetti eel was first discovered near Japan. They can live in shallow water or at depths of 100 feet, and they live in large colonies in sand flats, typically near a reef system. They utilize exposed currents for feeding.

Diet

The Pacific spaghetti eel eats zooplankton (or planktonic animals), microscopic aquatic organisms. Plankton can’t swim against the ocean’s current, so they drift through the water until they become another creature’s meal. Spaghetti eels take advantage of this never-ending buffet and plant themselves in the current, leaving their mouths open, waiting for food. Like other garden eels, they have large eyes with excellent eyesight and can spot food and predators from far away.

Predators and Threats

The Pacific spaghetti eel is shy and cautious, retreating to its burrow at the first sign of an unknown intruder. But this method does not always work. We don’t know exactly what preys on this species, but their likely predators include triggerfish and snake eels. Snake eels sneakily create burrows beneath spaghetti eels and pull them down tail-first, while triggerfish use brute force to crash through the sand and snatch their meal.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Spaghetti eels briefly leave their burrows during the spawning season, but only to pick a new spot next to their mate. Males and females entwine their upper bodies for hours before releasing their fertilized eggs, which float to the surface. Juveniles are independent after hatching. As soon as they are developed enough, they swim to the sandy bottom and create their first burrow among their colony. Their lifespan is unknown, but other garden eels can live up to 40 years.

Population and Conservation Status

The Pacific spaghetti eel has not been evaluated. There is no data on its population or conservation status. However, they are believed to be locally abundant and do not experience any significant threats.