The garden eels are the subfamily Heterocongrinae in the conger eel family Congridae. The majority of garden eels live in the Indo-Pacific, but species are also found in warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean (including the Caribbean) and East Pacific. These small eels live in burrows on the sea floor and get their name from their practice of poking their heads from their burrows while most of their bodies remain hidden. Since they tend to live in groups, the many eel heads "growing" from the sea floor resemble the plants in a garden. They vary greatly in colour depending on the exact species involved. The largest species reaches about 120 cm (47 in) in length, but most species do not surpass 60 cm (24 in).
Based on FishBase, about 35 species of garden eels are in two genera:
Although she's not alone she feels so lonely
And when they do make love, she feels untouched
When they kiss she feels no lips upon hers
Thought they have it all they've lost so much
Although they share a home she says "I miss you"
But when she speaks, it doesn't make a sound
Though her days are filled she feels so empty
'Cause even when he's there, he's not around
And they are
Living there behind the garden wall
In a house that's grown so small
No one sees the flowers fade and fall
There behind the garden wall
Although she took his name he is a stranger
And when he looks at her he doesn't see
That even as she smiles her heart is breaking
Because she knows the man he used to be
Season after season nothing changes
And reason after reason comes and goes
She wants to leave but hangs on to the feeling
That somewhere in the garden something grows
So they keep
Living there behind the garden wall
In a house that's grown so small
No one sees the flowers fade and fall
There behind the garden wall
Though they have it all, they've lost so much
They're still
Living there behind the garden wall
In a house that's grown so small
No one sees the flowers fade and fall
There behind the garden wall