Palenose moray (Echidna nocturna)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Echidna nocturna is a moray eel found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, in the Gulf of California and around Peru and the Galapagos Islands. It was first named by Cope in 1872, and is commonly known as the freckled moray or the palenose moray. It was discovered that Echidna nocturna and Muraena acutis are the same species.
- Scientific name
- Echidna nocturna
- Authority
- (Cope, 1872)
- Family
- Muraenidae
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Maximum length
- 71 cm
- Depth range
- 0–30 m
- Habitat zone
- demersal
- Iucn red list
- Least Concern
- Gbif occurrence records
- 420
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Anguilliformes · Family: Muraenidae · Genus: Echidna.
Accepted name: Echidna nocturna · Authority: (Cope, 1872) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 278678.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Poecilophis nocturnus Cope, 1872.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278678 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (FishBase)
Measured values published by FishBase for Echidna nocturna. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 71 cm · Depth range: 0–30 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: eel-like · Vulnerability index: 48.4 of 100.
FishBase notes: Lives between rocks in littoral pools. Not frequently seen. Feeds on crabs, lobsters and mollusks and possibly on other soft-bodied invertebrates and fishes (Ref. 28023).
Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 8287) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Echidna-nocturna.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
420 georeferenced occurrence records for Echidna nocturna are published through GBIF from 15 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 75 distinct locations from a sample of 420 records, omitting 36 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.
Most records by country or area: Mexico (229); Costa Rica (74); Ecuador (36); Colombia (34); Panama (28); Spain (5); France (3); Egypt (2); Maldives (2); El Salvador (2); Australia (1); Peru (1); Thailand (1); United States of America (1); Viet Nam (1).
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 5213099) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=5213099&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=278678 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
The IUCN Red List assesses Echidna nocturna (Cope, 1872) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 183375) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/183375/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 5213099) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/5213099/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
Echidna nocturna has a long snake-like body with an average vertebral count of 120.4 vertebrae. The average length of an adult eel is 48.26 cm. Juveniles range in size from 8.52 cm to 35.48 cm with the average length being 22 cm. They weigh between 1.12g and 296.1 g with the average weight being 49.62 grams. It is gray-brown in color with rows of small white spots along its body. Its nose is paler in color compared to the rest of its body.
Echidna nocturna habitats are distributed throughout the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean. They are found in both intertidal and coral reef habitats. Juveniles typically reside in rocky shore tidepools while adults reside near the tidepools or in coral reefs. Like other moray eels they have a pelagic larval phase.
Echidna nocturna is an exclusively carnivorous species. They have a low niche breadth, meaning they are specialized feeders. Their diet consists primarily of the shrimp Penaeoidea. They also consume crabs, stomatopods, and some other small animals. Echidna nocturna are sometimes host to Theletrum lamothei, a species of digenean parasite. This species of Theletrum was first discovered in the intestine of Echidna nocturna.
Source: Wikipedia: Echidna nocturna — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna_nocturna (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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