Species: Muraena pavonina, Flagged Moray, Whitespot Moray

Muraena pavonina Richardson, 1845

Flagged Moray, Whitespot Moray

Body short and stout; snout moderate, more or less conical; top of head between and behind eyes of large individuals with grooves that are adorned with papillae and small leaf-like appendages; tail not tapering, with rounded tip; both nostrils distinctly tubular, rear nostril long and fleshy, longer and broader than front nostril, over front edge of eye; mouth short, jaws not arched, mouth completely closable; lips of large fish with papillae; jaw teeth not serrated, in single row on each jaw in adults, biserial in juveniles, adult with 5-6 large stout teeth at front of top jaw, before a row of 10-20 widely spaced triangular teeth; lower jaw with 13-15 teeth, front 2-4 the largest; roof of mouth with 3 large depressible fangs at front (last is largest tooth in mouth) then a space and a row of 6-11 small teeth (fewer in larger individuals); gill opening a small slit on mid-side; head and trunk shorter than tail; dorsal fin origin before gill opening; lateral line pores absent except for 1-2 (usually) pores above and before gill opening.

Head and body dark grey-brown with large white spots or polygons, those arranged in 3-5 rows in juvenile; gill opening in a black ring in adult, a dark blotch in juvenile.

Reaches 67 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 0-90 m.

E Caribbean to Brazil, the Central Atlantic.