Snowflake Moray Eel Attacks Diver on Paradise Reef

[DandyDon]

PB has his was with words. Yes, it is a Spotted eel...

The spotted moray, Gymnothorax moringa, is a typical medium-sized moray eel. It has a long snake-like body, white or pale yellow in color with small overlapping dark-brown spots. It can grow to over a meter in length and weigh up to 2.5 kg.

The spotted moray is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It is also found around Mid- and Eastern Atlantic islands as far south as St Helena.

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Yes, there is a Snowflake eel, same family, different genus...

The snowflake moray, Echidna nebulosa, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific oceans and throughout Micronesia. Also found in the eastern Central Pacific from southern Baja California, Mexico, and from Costa Rica to northern Colombia

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[Ann Marie]

I don't dive in Aquariums, I dive in the Oceans! It is a Spotted Moray eel and alright almost blind, I was speaking figuratively! The Aquarium business has a lot of "Local" names for their fish. But I will defer to Paul Humann before Aquariums.com thanks!

I guess I'm lucky since I get to dive in the oceans AND enjoy my saltwater aquariums too!

I posted a photo of the snowflake moray so that you might see that there IS a snowflake moray even if the OP misidentified it.

 

[101recon]

Never seen one? You need to travel and dive more.

Sounds great.I would love to.Unfortunately,I don't have the income to travel as I please.Perhaps you would care to chip in?My LDS has a trip to Bonaire scheduled in March and I would love to go.

 

[DandyDon]

Sounds great.I would love to.Unfortunately,I don't have the income to travel as I please.Perhaps you would care to chip in?My LDS has a trip to Bonaire scheduled in March and I would love to go.

Post pics in a mini-skirt.

Bonaire would be a great trip but pricey. You can get Caribbean diving much cheaper. I don't know where you are in NC, but Raleigh to Key Largo is 861 miles. You and a buddy could drive it in 14 hours each way. (Amazingly, Mapquest does not know the destination of Key Largo :silly: but you can use the original name of Rock Harbor to plot a route. Don't substitute Largo FL; that's up by Tampa.) I've long thot Key Largo is the ideal destination for new divers, no passport needed, easy newbie diving, great charters & supply stores, economical motels & cafes, etc. Or you can stop shorter along the lower Atlantic coast of Florida as many other sites not quite so far, some with nice shore diving. Talk to the locals on the Florida forum.

 

[101recon]

Post pics in a mini-skirt.

Bonaire would be a great trip but pricey. You can get Caribbean diving much cheaper. I don't know where you are in NC, but Raleigh to Key Largo is 861 miles. You and a buddy could drive it in 14 hours each way. (Amazingly, Mapquest does not know the destination of Key Largo :silly: but you can use the original name of Rock Harbor to plot a route. Don't substitute Largo FL; that's up by Tampa.) I've long thot Key Largo is the ideal destination for new divers, no passport needed, easy newbie diving, great charters & supply stores, economical motels & cafes, etc. Or you can stop shorter along the lower Atlantic coast of Florida as many other sites not quite so far, some with nice shore diving. Talk to the locals on the Florida forum.

Sorry,there won't be any mini-skirt pics.I'm not into that.

Actually,the Bonaire trip is a pretty good deal,the 27th to the 3rd for around $800.But I still can't do it.After 6 months,I've just finished buying all my initial gear.So I'm in saving mode now.Even a drive to the coast will have to wait.In 8 weeks or so it will be warm enough to dive locally.I think I'll use the time to learn more about all my new gear,how I want to use it,local sites,shops,etc.It will be a good opportunity to interact with other divers and find those I am comfortable with.Thank you for the suggestions.

 

[diverken374]

YouTube - Moray Eel
Just a reminder. Don't play with the eels.

 

[101recon]

YouTube - Moray Eel
Just a reminder. Don't play with the eels.

Great vid.It shows both the great beauty of interaction and the results of going too far.Like most animals Moray's can be gentle and playful.They can also be dangerous.I guess it's like the shark thing.Both beautiful and deadly at the same time.Hmmmm.....Diving is kind of like that too.

 

[Papa_Bear]

I know the Eel as a Cloudy Moray or Starry Moray eel:

I have not heard it called a snowflake and would question it being called that by Indo-Pacific folks seeing most have no word for Snow???? So I would guess it was named by the aquarium folks?

I would rather see all these animals living in their natural habitat than a Aquarium, but that is a personal choice!

 

[DandyDon]

I know the Eel as a Cloudy Moray or Starry Moray eel:

I have not heard it called a snowflake and would question it being called that by Indo-Pacific folks seeing most have no word for Snow???? So I would guess it was named by the aquarium folks?

Common names of species will vary by a lot of factors. What we call careless weed is known in many other farm areas as pigweed, what we call a horse is known by many other names in other languages, etc. I think the universal name for that eel is Echidna nebulosa regardless of what some local populations call it here and there. I don't see that it makes any difference. I think it was long ago established that the eel in the OP's first post is actually a spotted moray, Gymnothorax moringa.

I would rather see all these animals living in their natural habitat than a Aquarium, but that is a personal choice!

I think we all would. Still it is nice to take the family to a nice public aquarium when we cannot take them below with us.

 

[Mike]

Gotta love that video



Proof that darwin is alive and well.