Leopard moray eel
Species of fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The leopard moray eel (Enchelycore pardalis), also known as the tiger moray eel, dragon moray or puhi-kauila in Hawaiian, is a species of moray eel of the family Muraenidae.[1]
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| Leopard moray eel | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Muraenidae |
| Genus: | Enchelycore |
| Species: | E. pardalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Enchelycore pardalis | |
Distribution and habitat
The leopard moray eel is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific oceans from Réunion to the Hawaiian, Line and Society Islands, north to southern Japan, southern Korea, and south to New Caledonia.[1] The Leopard Moray eel inhabits coral and rocky reefs from shallow coastal waters to deeper reef slopes between 5 and 60 m in depth.[2] It typically shelters in reef crevices during the day and hunts for prey at night.
Description
It grows up to 92 cm (36 in) in length[3] and is characterized by its narrow, curved jaws, vivid red stripes on the head, and elongated tubular nostrils. It is primarily nocturnal and has a preference for cryptic habitats feeding primarily on fishes and small cephalopods.[4]
