Garden eel

Photo: Kerry Lewis · CC BY-NC

Garden eels form large colonies in the sandy terrace at the base of Radar Reef's groove system, each individual living in a permanent burrow from which it extends its body to filter zooplankton from the current. The colony appears as a swaying meadow from a distance, retreating underground in a wave as divers approach — making close observation a lesson in patience and slow descent. They are permanently monogamous and regularly reach across burrow boundaries to exchange gametes with neighbouring individuals.