Blackcheek Moray

The blackcheek moray eel is a medium-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 100 cm, but usually morays observed are often smaller. The background body color is brown speckled in a relatively high density with darker spots. This moray is easily identifiable by the large irregular black patch mark (hence the common name of blackcheek moray eel) starting from the eye and finishing in the corner of the mouth. Otherwise, its anal orifice and its gills aperture are black.

The blackcheek moray eel is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area from eastern coast of Africa until oceanic islands from the Pacific Ocean like Polynesia but not Hawaii. It is a very common moray on the Maldives reefs.