Ribbon Eel

Photo: François Libert · CC BY-NC-SA

Ribbon eels are unmistakable residents of Alor's sandy rubble patches adjacent to the wall, their electric blue and yellow coloration and elaborately leafy nostril ornaments marking them as sequential hermaphrodites that begin life as black juveniles, mature as blue males, and some transition to yellow females. They shelter in burrows or coral crevices with only their heads protruding, flaring their nasal fans in response to water movement created by approaching prey. Their striking appearance and sedentary lifestyle make them one of Alor's most reliably photographed macro subjects.