Sand Eel

The sand eel is a species of eel living within the kelp forests. It gets its name both through its colouring and the method in which it hunts.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The sand eel is a shorter species of eel, only a few inches long. It has yellow skin with a sort of freckled appearance, in order to blend in better with the sands of its home. It is more flat than it is wide, enabling it to bury itself within the sand without displacing too much of it, and also allows it to dig better by simply moving its body side to side. It has a very wide mouth, with an almost creepy-looking smile, and small eyes on either side of its head; these eyes are located slightly closer to the top of its head, allowing it to see upwards while it is buried. It has a large scope of vision, due to its eyes bulging out of its head - a feature that gives them a somewhat strange appearance, but ultimately benefits them.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The sand eel is a carnivore, which subsits off of the fish native to the kelp forests. It hunts these fish by digging just underneath the sand of the ocean, near invisible but for its head sticking out of the ground. When its unlucky meal starts to swim by, the eel with jump out of its hiding place and bite its newfound prey with deadly precision.

Lifespan

10-15 years

Average Length

7-14 inches

Geographic Distribution

• Kelp Forests

Domestication

Sand eels are a one of a few eel species that have been domesticated by the kelpen kuuyikar, who have taught the species how to pull their eelkelp chariot. These eels allow for them to practice eelkelp races, a common sport in the region.