Spotted Moray Eel

Photo: desertnaturalist · CC BY

The large and formidable spotted moray is abundant throughout the lava tube and boulder fields of Punta Mangle, with individuals reaching over 2 meters. Their boldly spotted patterning makes them highly photogenic, and they are significantly less shy here than at heavily visited sites, often extending most of their body length from crevices in apparent curiosity. They are occasionally observed hunting cooperatively with Galapagos grouper, one of the rare examples of cross-species cooperative hunting documented in the scientific literature.