Species: Echidna nebulosa, Snowflake moray, Starry moray

Echidna nebulosa (Ahl, 1789)

Starry moray, Snowflake moray

Snout short and jaws short, broad; front nostril tubular, rear one a small hole above front of eye; no canine teeth;  molar-like teeth on roof of mouth, short stout conical teeth at front of jaws; side of jaws with 1-2 rows of small close-set compressed nodular teeth; length of tail very slightly greater than ½ TL; gill opening a small slit at mid-flank; dorsal and anal fins skin covered, but evident; dorsal origin before gill opening,  anal origin immediately after anus; tip of tail blunt, with a skin-covered fin; lateral line pores absent except for 2  pores above and before gill opening.

White, with two rows of dendritic black blotches containing small yellow spots, these blotches sometimes forming more or less complete bars on head region; numerous small black spots between large blotches; front nostrils yellow.

Size: to 80 cm.

Habitat: rocky and rubble bottoms.

Depth: 1-30 m.

Widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Americas; the   Gulf of California to the Galapagos.