Ribbon Eel: A Secretive Creature of the Deep with Striking Colours. Born Male but Can Change its Sex at will!
Here we are, continuing our entertaining & educational series of Amazing Creatures of the Deep.
In this post we will meet the beautiful & colorful Ribbon Eel.
The ribbon eel (officially: Rhinomuraena quaesita) is also known as ‘leaf-nosed moray eel’ or ‘bernis eel’.
Their species is rather secretive and if you have dived in the waters of S. Africa, or the Red Sea you might have already seen them hidden in the sand, with only their head coming out.
During your wandering in the deep, you will see that they have 3 different, distinctive colours. Even though they look so different, we are still talking about the same creature!
Color Diversity
Juvenile eels are black, the females have a distinct yellowish colour (sometimes with a little blue in their rear), and the males are blue and yellow.
juvenile Ribbon Eel
Peculiarities
A rather peculiar fact about them is that they are hermaphrodite, thus they can reverse their sex, changing their color as well!
More specifically, they are called “protandrous hermaphrodite”, which means that all female species derive from male that changed sex.
Source1 - source2
What do they eat?
The ribbon eels are carnivores, eating small fish and other small marine creatures.
Homebody
They enjoy staying in the same hole (home) for months or even years.
Size
The Ribbon Eel can grow to approximately 1 meter and can live up to twenty years in the wild (when not captured in an aquarium)
Social Life
The juveniles are usually on their own, while the males are often hanging around in the same places.
Where are they found?
The Ribbon Eels usually live in coastal reefs from East Africa to French Polynesia, throughout the Indian and Pacific Ocean, in Australia and New Caledonia. If you are diving near those areas make sure to look carefully, as they may be well hidden in the sand!
Synopsis
The ribbon eel is one of the most impressive creatures found on coral reefs. Not only does it looks beautiful bearing vivid colors, but its movement is mesmerizing and has a unique long body that can grow up to 1 meter.
Its trumpetlike nostrils and its thin body gives it a ribbon-like appearance. A rather impressive fact is that all females actually derive from males that have changed their sex. During this transformation, the eels undergo a chromatic change.
When they are put in captivity (in aquariums), as per individual repots, the eels usually refuse to eat and they cannot survive for more than a month.
Source : Wikipedia
Source : Encyclopedia of Life
Source: National Geographic
If you enjoyed this post, maybe you would like to read my
Introduction of Tardigrate, the Survivor!
Καλημέρα Κατερίνα...πολύ ωραία ανάρτηση...
Ευχαριστώ Νίκο, καλημέρα :)
imagine getting ready to dive in the crystal blue waters and you see that :P game over!
haha, that's the reason I don't dive!
It's cool how they can shift from male to female, they remind me of our society these days :P
BTW, am I the only one who mistook the second photo as a stick with tiny leaves at the tips of it?
Actually no, at first I wasn't so sure either! Fun creatures, aren't they? :)
Thank you so much for dropping by!
Πολύ ενδιαφέρον άρθρο Κατερίνα, πραγματικά ο βυθός των θαλασσών κρύβει πολύ περίεργα πλασματάκια και το άρθρο σου μας βοήθησε να ανακαλύψουμε ένα απο αυτά, ευχαριστούμε!
Ευχαριστώ πολύ @andyblack!
Συμφωνώ μαζί σου και το διασκεδάζω πάρα πολύ όσο ερευνώ κάθε άρθρο..
Very interesting @katerinaramm :-) I didn't know of the existence of Ribbon Eel at all. Thank you for this information
Thank you @mariantela :) I appreciate your kind words!
Τα 'σπάει' !