The leopard moray eel, tiger moray eel or dragon moray (''Enchelycore pardalis''), is a
species of marine
fish in the
family Muraenidae.
The leopard moray eel is widespread throughout the
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth.
In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...
oceans from
Réunion
Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
to the
Hawaiian,
Line
Line most often refers to:
* Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity
* Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system
Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to:
Arts ...
and
Society Islands, north to southern
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, southern
Korea, and south to
New Caledonia
)
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, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
.
It inhabits coral and rocky reefs at depth range from 8 to 60 m.
Its length is up to 92 cm.
This eel is characterized by its narrow, curved jaws, vivid red stripes on the head, and elongated tubular nostrils.
It is chiefly nocturnal; because of this and its preference for cryptic habitats, it is seldom seen. It feeds primarily on fishes and small cephalopods.
[Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Harper Collins Publishers, 400 p.]
References
External links
*http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=217472
pardalis
Fish described in 1846
{{Muraenidae-stub