Imagine if Dory from Finding Nemo got stretched out like saltwater taffy - that's your Ribbon Eel; a colourful, aquatic party streamer with fins.

Found in the vibrant coral reefs and sandy burrows of the Indo-Pacific, this extraordinary creature glides through shallow waters, typically at depths between 1 and 57 metres. Boasting up to 255 vertebrae in their backbone, the ribbon eel is one of the longest eel species known.

Decked out in electric green, turquoise, and purple stripes, this giant swimming disco stick is a sight to behold. However, it's not all about aesthetics. Beyond their visual appeal, the colours signal the eel's unique life cycle as a protandric hermaphrodite. In a final act of biological wonder, male ribbon eels transform to lay eggs, sacrificing themselves to ensure the species' survival in the ever-changing underwater realm.