Heteroconger balteatus

Description

Heteroconger balteatus is an eel in the family Congridae (conger/garden eels). It was described by Peter Henry John Castle and John Ernest Randall in 1999. It is a marine, tropical eel which is known from Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, in the western Indian Ocean. It is known to dwell at a minimum depth of 46 m (151 ft), and inhabits regions of current, where it forms burrows in sand. It enters its burrows tail-first. Females can reach a maximum total length of 33.1 cm (13.0 in). The species epithet balteatus refers to the white "belt" on the trunk of the eel. Its diet consists of zooplankton.