About Enchelycore pardalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)
Enchelycore pardalis, commonly known as the leopard moray eel, reaches a maximum length of 92 cm (36 in). This species can be identified by its narrow, curved jaws, vivid red head stripes, and elongated tubular nostrils. It is primarily nocturnal, favors well-hidden cryptic habitats, and feeds mainly on fishes and small cephalopods. During the day, it typically shelters in reef crevices, and emerges to hunt prey at night. The leopard moray eel has a wide distribution across the Indo-Pacific oceans, ranging from Réunion to the Hawaiian, Line, and Society Islands. Its range extends north to southern Japan and southern Korea, and south to New Caledonia. It lives in coral and rocky reefs, occurring from shallow coastal waters down to deeper reef slopes at depths between 5 and 60 meters.
