Honeycomb Moray Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Large, thick-bodied moray that can exceed 2 meters
• Pale grey-white to yellowish body covered in dark brown to black polygonal spots
• Spots often merge into irregular blotches on larger, older individuals
• Powerful jaws and a broad, muscular head
• No nasal tentacles or head ornamentation
• Small, dark eyes set within the patterned head
• No pectoral fins, distinguishing it from congers on the same reef

Common look-alikes

• Giant moray - separated by finer, more uniform leopard-like spotting compared to the honeycomb moray's larger, darker, more irregular blotches that frequently fuse together
• Dragon moray - separated by the presence of raised, horn-like nasal tentacles and a more orange-toned, banded pattern, both absent in the honeycomb moray

Where you'll see one

Honeycomb morays inhabit coral and rocky reefs across the Indo-Pacific, from shallow reef flats to deeper slopes, favoring caves, ledges, and large crevices. As one of the largest reef morays, adults can occupy den sites big enough to shelter their entire heavy body with only the head exposed.