All fish / Muraenidae

Dragon Moray Eel

Enchelycore pardalis

Also known as dragon moray, dragon eel, leopard moray, hawaiian dragon eel, japanese dragon eel, dragon moray eel, no, ปลาไหลมังกร, トラウツボ, belut naga, 豹纹勾吻鯙, 龙鳗

A striking moray with an orange to reddish brown body covered in white spots outlined in dark brown, plus tall tube-like nostrils and curved jaws that cannot fully close. Keepers prize it as one of the most colourful and dramatic eels, and it is usually costly because most come from Japan and Hawaii.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

80 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: whole fish, squid, shrimp and other meaty seafood, fed every two to three days

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific: Réunion and Mauritius to Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hawaii and French Polynesia

Breeding

It has not been bred in home aquariums. In the wild morays scatter eggs in open water and the larvae drift as leptocephali for a long period, which makes captive rearing very hard.

Good to know

A large predator with long, sharp teeth that will eat any fish or crustacean it can swallow and can give a serious bite, so feed it with tongs. Needs a tightly sealed lid because morays escape through small gaps.