Researchers are hoping that events focusing on spotted garden eels at the Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo and the Kyoto Aquarium will boost public interest in the species.

The events, which started on Friday, will include explanations by staff on the feeding habits of spotted garden eels, whose scientific name is Heteroconger hassi and Japanese name is “chin anago,” as well as quizzes. The events will run through Sunday, which is national chin anago day.

While many details of the lives of spotted garden eels remain unknown, video footage of egg laying has been taken and researchers recently found a new species off the southwestern island of Amami-Oshima.

Researchers hope that heightened interest in spotted garden eels among the public will lead to research on habitats and protection of the fish, measuring some 30 to 40 centimeters long.

In 2014, the Sumida Aquarium in Sumida Ward managed to take video clips of female spotted garden eels and splendid garden eels, a related species with the binomial name of Gorgasia preclara and Japanese name of “nishiki anago,” laying eggs at night and males releasing their sperm. A paper on the findings has been released.

In the wild, the fertilized eggs are thought to be carried far out to sea, people familiar with the matter said.

“You can say that they [garden eels] are lazy fish as they eat and lay eggs while inside their burrows,” Katsumi Tsukamoto, a special professor at the University of Tokyo and coauthor of the paper, told a laughing audience during a symposium held last year at the aquarium.

He noted that all types of eels grow from an egg to a larva that resembles a transparent leaf.

“What foods do [garden eels] eat to grow up? How do they reach shallow coastal waters?” he asked. “They are shrouded in mystery.”