Snowflake Moray

Echidna nebulosa

Bislamanamarae— names this kind of animal, not this species alone

uncommonblackwhiteyellowspottedvery-largereef-crevice

Habitat: Reef crevice
Max size: 1.0 m
Depth: 0-10 m
Family: Muraenidae

The snowflake moray, also known as the clouded moray among many vernacular names, is a species of marine eel of the family Muraenidae. It has blunt teeth ideal for its diet of crustaceans, a trait it shares with the zebra moray.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side, with what tells them apart.

Both are pale eels marked in black, and both hunt in the open on shallow reef flats. Snowflake Moray is white with two rows of large, branching black blotches, yellow eyes and a blunt white snout, and it forages among rocks and coral. Tiger Snake Eel is cream to yellow with round black spots, has no tail fin -- the tail ends in a hard point -- and lives buried in sand, coming out mostly at night.

See the Tiger Snake Eel →

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