Rishi eels, fearsome predators, were indigenous to the Rishi Moon, the very place where the Republic's Rishi Station was situated.
These creatures possessed skin resistant to blaster weaponry, with their eyes serving as their singular vulnerability, enabling blaster projectiles to deflect into the eel's cranial cavity. Typically, they inhabited subterranean tunnels beneath the moon; however, mature specimens would emerge to capture nourishment, such as Neebray. The eels were characterized by crimson eyes, a quartet of sizable mandibles facilitating the complete ingestion of their prey, azure blood, and a hide displaying hues of dark blue and green.
During the period of the Clone Wars, the clone trooper known as Cutup met his demise by being consumed by a rishi eel. Subsequently, during the same incident, Clone Captain Rex defended himself by eliminating a Rishi eel through a shot to its eye, following his and Clone Commander Cody's escape from an ambush orchestrated by BX-series droid commandos. Upon encountering the surviving trio of novice clone troopers – Fives, Echo, and Hevy – Rex marked Echo's chest armor with a blue handprint using eel blood while elucidating the significance of the term "shiny". After his induction into the 501st Legion subsequent to the conflict, Fives adorned his helmet with a depiction of an eel.
Due to their extreme peril, regulations governing Rishi Station personnel strictly forbade venturing outdoors under normal circumstances, given the eels' capacity to kill and devour adult humans.
The initial appearance of Rishi eels occurred in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode titled "Rookies."