How do garden eels live in large colonies on tropical reefs?

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American eel (Anguilla rostrata) — eel The American eel (*Anguilla rostrata*) is found in habitats along the coast of eastern North America.

Garden eels, which belong to the subfamily Heterocongrinae, are unique among most eels because they live in vast colonies rather than as solitary individuals. These fishes inhabit tropical reef areas where they form large groups consisting of several hundred individuals.1

While many other eel species are solitary or inhabit rock crevices, garden eels are known for their specialized behavior of burrowing into the substrate. They remain anchored in their burrows, extending their bodies into the water column to feed, which allows them to thrive in these dense, social aggregations within their reef environments.1