Heterocongrinae

The garden eels are infaunal ray-finned fish of the subfamily Heterocongrinae in the conger eel family Congridae. The majority of the 36 known species of garden eels live in the Indo-Pacific, but can be found in warm ocean water worldwide. These small benthic eels live in burrows on the sea floor and get their name from the behavior of poking their heads out of the burrows to feed on planktons while most of their bodies remain hidden. Since they tend to live in groups, the many eel heads "growing" out from the sea floor resemble shoots of grass in a garden. They vary in color and size dependin

Heteroconger is a genus of marine congrid eels. These small, slender garden eels live in groups where each individual has its own burrow. Usually, only the head and front half of the body is visible. The greatest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific, but species are also found in the warmer parts of the Atlantic (including the Caribbean) and the eastern Pacific. The genus name relates to the species' distinct appearance, particularly in dentition, from other closely related eels.

Gorgasia is one of the two genera that belong to the subfamily Heterocongrinae (common name: garden eels). This genus is classified by the behavioral pattern of burrowing 75% of their bodies in the sandy substrate they live in and protruding their upper body into the water current above, giving the appearance that they are planted into the ground (origin of common name). This protruding behavior serves a multipurpose functionality to their survival.