The snowflake moray, or starry moray, is one of the most popular eels in the hobby, and for good reason. Echidna nebulosa stays a manageable size, is hardy, and has a striking pattern of black and yellow stars on a white body. Unlike many morays, it eats mainly crustaceans, so it is usually safe with fish it cannot swallow.
Where snowflake morays come from
The species is found across the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to Hawaii and the Pacific coast of Central America. It lives on shallow reef flats and rocky shores, often in tide pools, hiding in crevices by day and hunting at night.
Appearance and behaviour
Snowflake morays usually reach 60–75 cm in aquariums, and up to about 1 m in the wild. The body is white to cream with two rows of black, star-shaped blotches with yellow centres, and the eyes and nostrils are yellow. Their teeth are short and blunt, designed for crushing shells.
Morays open and close their mouths constantly to pump water over their gills. This looks threatening but is simply breathing. Snowflakes are shy at first and become bold once they learn when food arrives.
Tank setup
A single adult needs at least 300 litres. Build stable rockwork with plenty of tunnels and caves, so the eel has several hiding places. Secure rock to the bottom glass, as morays will move loose rocks. Most important of all is an escape-proof lid: eels are experts at finding small gaps, including filter openings and cable holes, and an eel on the floor does not survive long.
Water parameters
Keep the temperature at 24–27°C, specific gravity at 1.020–1.025 and pH at 8.1–8.4. Morays are messy eaters, so use strong filtration and a good protein skimmer.
Feeding
Snowflake morays eat mostly crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans. Feed thawed shrimp, krill, crab, clam, mussel and squid, and some fish pieces, from a feeding stick or tongs. Feed two or three times a week; they are prone to obesity if fed daily. Never hand-feed, as morays have poor eyesight and can bite fingers by mistake.
Tank mates
Good companions are medium to large fish: tangs, angelfish, larger wrasses, triggerfish, groupers and lionfish such as the zebra lionfish. Very small fish may be eaten. Shrimp, crabs and lobsters will almost certainly be eaten, so the snowflake moray is usually kept in a fish-only tank with live rock. Corals are safe, but eels can knock them over.
Breeding
Snowflake morays have not been bred in home aquariums. All aquarium fish are wild caught.
Common problems and lifespan
Escapes are the main cause of death. Overfeeding and poor water quality come next. Morays are sensitive to some medications, so use copper with care. Use our quarantine protocol for new fish.
With good care, snowflake morays can live 10–20 years or more.
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