#I would just guess it was a breeder or pet seller NOT a biologist
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vergess · 2 years ago
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That is an extremely funny joke and I sincerely wish it were the reason why. But, the name "bastard eel" was invented by pet stores as an advertising gimmick to sell expensive exotics to inadequately prepared aquarists.
They handle captivity well enough, aside from growing to be 70cm (28") long, which you may recognize as "way the fuck too big for any home-sized aquarium."
You need ~200 gallons of water for each of them. For every individual eel, you need a tank longer than a king size bed, as well as reef structures for them to hide, live prey for them to hunt, and all the other complexities that come with keeping a tropical saltwater tank. And, due to the... detritus... of their hunting, you'll have to completely replace that massive tank of water at least weekly.
They're just not suited to home keeping.
But the bright colors and ~funny name~ make them a popular sell.
Thooooough... they're also pretty infamous for heinous bites, so I mean.
Both things can be true, probably.
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This variant of the Goldentail / Bastard Moray is known as the Banana Eel due to its colouration and markings resembling a ripe banana.
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