Leopard Eel

The leopard moray eel (Gymnothorax javanicus) is not the longest of the morays but it is one of the heaviest. This eel is found in the Indo-Pacific area, from Reunion to Hawaii and southern Japan. It dwells in coral reefs and lagoons where it spends the day backed into a crevice with only its head protruding. It relies on its sense of smell, not sight, to locate prey. This eel has a second set of jaws called pharyngeal jaws that are closer to its mouth and resemble the oral jaws (complete with tiny teeth). These jaws grasp and restrain prey while the moray’s mouth opening is drawn up into the throat.

The eel is also known as the Dragon Moray and the Enchelycore Pardalis and can reach up to 80 cm in length. This eel is quite variable in coloring and can be white, yellow, orange or brown spotted with other colors.

In an aquarium it should be kept alone as it will most likely take smaller fish and is aggressive towards intruders. It should have plenty of hiding places and its aquarium should be very secure to prevent it from climbing out or being knocked over by other tanks decor. It should be fed meaty foods such as squid, shrimp and crabs cut into very small pieces. It is very important to avoid overfeeding morays as this can lead to internal organ problems such as fatty infiltration of the liver.