The ribbon eel grows from 26-51 inches throughout its life.

Depending on the age and cycle it is in, this eel will appear black, bright blue, or all yellow, each with high yellow dorsal fins.

Ribbon eels can easily be identified by their large nostrils, which can resemble a seahorse’s.

The ribbon eel is a type of moray eel found in the Indo-Pacific Ocean; they prefer the lagoons and reefs in areas like Australia, Japan, Africa, and more. Divers will most often see a ribbon eel’s head or upper body sticking out of the sand or a crevice. Even though these eels can occupy the same hole for years, they are not territorial towards other ribbon eels.

Ribbon eels are carnivores that will either leave their hiding spots to hunt at night or wait for prey to swim too close to their homes. Their diet consists of small fish and shrimp that they can sense with their nostrils. The ribbon eel’s nostrils not only sense the vibrations in the water, but their flared appearance also attracts prey for the eel to snatch up with their strong jaws and small, sharp teeth.

Mating season for the ribbon eels occurs when the water is at its warmest. Once a male reaches its full length, he will become a female, turning yellow all over and gaining the ability to lay eggs. After a male and female ribbon eel mate, the female will lay eggs before dying a month later. These leaf-shaped eggs float in the water for 8 weeks before hatching into black-colored versions of its parents.

People are often threatened when they see this eel’s mouth constantly opening and closing but they are simply breathing.

The ribbon eel is what is known as sequentially hermaphroditic; this means that it changes genders throughout its life cycle. Within its 20 years of life, a ribbon eel starts as a juvenile and then goes from a male to a female which accounts for the size and color changes. The female stage is short-lived so footage of them is this state is more difficult to come by.