Species: Anarchias similis, Pygmy Moray

Anarchias similis (Lea, 1913)

Pygmy Moray

Elongate, slender, compressed; snout short, conical, broad; eye slightly before middle of jaw; front nostril tubular, pointing forward; rear nostril a hole above center of eye, with large pore immediately beside; jaws about equal sized; teeth conical, slender, many fangs; between top jaws 7-10 small outer teeth enclosing 3 rows large canines, rearmost 2-3 are large fangs; 2 rows at front sides of jaws, inner row of 2-5 large canines, 1 row on rear; 1 row of 3-11 small teeth on roof of mouth well behind the front patch; lower jaw teeth in 2 rows at front (inner row larger), 1 at rear; gill opening a small slit at about mid-flank; tail a little longer than head and trunk, its tip hard, pointed; dorsal and anal fins present as skin-covered folds at rear of tail; no pectorals; lateral line pores absent except for 2 pores above and before gill opening; a well developed set of head pores.

Color variable: body uniform dark brown to dark brown with a strong pattern of pale spots and (sometimes) pale blotches; lower jaw always with pale blotches and pores in white spots.

Reaches 20.6 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 6-200 m.

B Bermuda to the southern Caribbean.