Okay, I know it's not Monday, but since I'm not sure what the internet situation will be like in Pago Pago I thought I should play it safe and post this week's feature before boarding my plane.As I'm still in Hawaii right now, I thought I'd show a little Aloha spirit and feature a Hawaiian native for this week's moray. The native Hawaiians compared this particular eel to King Kamehameha, king above all kings. So I give you Puhi Kapa: Hawaii's eel above all others.
Snowflake Moray
Echidna nebulosa
This eel is white to off-white in color with black and yellow spots formed in patterns like snowflakes on the body, thus the name Snowflake Eel. This disruptive coloration assists the eel in camouflage among the varied colors and textures of its reef home. The eels eyes are generally yellow. This fish grows to an average length of about three feet (36 inches).
The range of the Snowflake Moray is Hawaii southward to Australia, westward through the islands of the Indo-Pacific to the East Indies, and across the Indian Ocean to the coast of Africa. Loose rock or coral rubble and cracks and crevices within the reef are typical habitat for this species. They are quite commonly spotted with their heads poking out of holes in shallow reef systems.This eel's diet consists mainly of crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs, as well as sea urchins, but it may eat smaller fish if the opportunity arises. Unlike other moray species that have sharp pointed teeth for grasping onto prey, the Snowflake Eel has blunt or flattened teeth mores suited to crushing shelled prey items.
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