Dragon Moray
Dragon Moray
Enchelycore pardalis
RareMuraenidaeMay bite
ID points
- Orange-red ground densely covered in white spots, intensely coloured
- Curved jaws cannot close fully, leaving the pointed teeth exposed
- A pair of nasal tubes at the front and another at the rear, standing up like horns
Basics
- Family
- Muraenidae
- Length
- 60–90 cm
- Depth
- 1-60 m
- Regions
- Indo-Pacific reefs
- Distribution
- Rock crevices on Indo-Pacific coral reefs
- Habitat
- Crevices on coral and rocky reefs
- Diet
- Fish, cephalopods
Easily confused with
Snowflake MorayBlack snowflake-shaped blotches evenly arranged on a white ground
Spotted MorayWhite ground densely covered with fine dark brown spots
Geometric MorayGrey-white ground covered with very fine brown specklesFun fact
The dragon moray, Enchelycore pardalis, is spectacularly marked with irregular orange red blotches on a white ground, tube like nostrils that stick up like little horns, and jaws that cannot fully close, leaving the curved teeth permanently on show. It is among the most striking of all morays and a fierce top ambush predator on the reef.