The eel has large eyes compared to its body, and a weak sense of smell because of its tiny nostrils.

It has a gland in its tail that secretes a sticky substance that keeps the burrow from falling in on itself and burying the garden eel in sand.

Then, the male picks which female he wants to mate and defends her viciously, biting at the head and even the eyes of any other suitors.

The couple mates and the female releases the fertilized eggs, letting them float away and gather around the epipelagic zone.

The garden eels develop and hatch out of their eggs while floating in the water and, when they are large enough, swim down to a sand bed and dig a burrow of their own.