Move aside Dragon, Kidako and Golden eels because the Skeletor and Berndt’s eels are here to show you who’s the king of the Anguilliformes. Pictured above is Berndt’s eel, Gymnothorax berndti, an extreme deepwater rarity from Japan who’s collection is completely unpredictable because it can only be caught on hook and line. Imagine trying to snake out one of these sea monsters at 250-300 feet! The G. berndti rarity has a beautiful black and white chainlink pattern on the body with a blueish face that is crowned with a bright golden eye, what a stunner. Next up is the skeletor eel, Echidna xanthospilos pictured below. The skeletor eel is found in Sumatran and Java Sea habitats at more modest depths than the Berndti Eel but to our knowledge this is the first time the species has been imported. Both species should be hitting everyone’s favorite wysiwyg, the Diver’s Den and our favorite independent pet shop, Country Critters in Long Island NY.
It just so happens that we’ll be heading Country Critters’ way after MACNA this weekend so we hope they’ll put their eel gems in a clean, well-lit tank so we can take some good videos of them (Hint, Hint). If you’re the type of aquarists who thinks dragon eels are expensive, definitely don’t even ask about the price of the skeletor or berndti eels. Follow the break for heaps more pics of both of the rarest eels in the aquarium world.Huge thanks to Russo’s Reef for the pix and lowdown.
