Snowflake Eel

About this fish

Snowflake Eel is a marine eel sold as Echidna nebulosa for the home saltwater aquarium. In a reef-safe fish sense, it’s a dramatic, rock-dwelling predator that’s mainly on display from the head up while it hunts and patrols. In practice, it’s kept in a mature setup with lots of rock and secure hiding places, and it’s fed meaty frozen foods—while planning tankmates carefully so it cannot swallow them.

Features:

• Predatory eel that spends much of the day in live rock, often with only its head visible
• Needs plenty of caves and secure hiding spots for comfortable, stress-minimized behavior
• Best housed with tankmates that are too large to swallow
• Feed a meaty diet such as frozen silversides, squid, and shrimp a few times per week
• A tightly fitted, escape-proof lid is essential—eels are known to find gaps
• Acclimate slowly when the eel arrives and allow time to settle into a quiet section of the tank

Specifications:

• Scientific name (verified): Echidna nebulosa
• Habitat: Marine (saltwater) aquarium
• Temperament: Predatory
• Diet: Meaty foods such as frozen silversides, squid, and shrimp; may also eat small fish and crustaceans
• Placement: Rockwork/caves, typically mostly hidden with the head out
• Water temperature (general marine range): Tropical aquarium range, typically about 72–78°F (22–26°C)
• pH (general marine range): About 8.1–8.4
• Salinity (general marine range): Typically about 1.020–1.026 specific gravity
• Care level (general): Advanced—requires appropriate tank setup, tankmate planning, and secure containment
• Notes on sizing: Sizes offered: Large, Medium, Small, Tiny (exact adult size depends on the individual)