Species: Enchelycore anatina, Fangtooth Moray

Enchelycore anatina (Lowe, 1838)

Fangtooth Moray

Body stout; head and trunk 40-45% of TL; head slender; snout long and narrow; eye large, at about middle of mouth; front nostril a simple tube, rear nostril a small oval hole above front edge of eye; jaws slender, narrow, strongly arched and meeting only at tips, lower jaw projects a little; top jaws with inner row of widely separated long fangs and an outer row of shorter teeth along length of jaws, between front jaws with 2 rows of 15 large fangs separated by a row of 3-5 depressible fangs, surrounded by an outer row of smaller teeth; rear of roof of mouth with a single row of very small, hard to find teeth; lower jaw with inner row of 10-14 large teeth and outer row of small teeth along its length; dorsal and anal fins very evident, dorsal origin over or a little behind gill opening.

Color very variable: head yellow to pale yellowish-grey with a network of small irregular brown blotches at rear; body varies from pale greyish, overlaid by a network of thick irregular brown bars to dark brown with yellowish rings, small spots and wiggly lines; iris yellow.

Reaches 120 cm.

Depth range: 0-60 m; usually deeper than 50 m.

Reefs.

Trans-Atlantic; Bermuda to Brazil.