Tessalata Moray Eel

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Easy   • Temperament: Aggressive   • Maximum Size: 70"
• Minimum Tank Size: 180 gallons   • Water Conditions: 72-80° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, sg 1.020-1.025
• Diet: Carnivore   • Origin: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Sri Lanka
• Family: Muraenidae   • Species: Eels   • Aquarium Type: Predatory

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The Tessalata Moray Eel is a brilliantly patterned species of Eel with an awesome brown leopard spotted pattern over top a yellow/white background running the length of their body. Their color pattern and popularity within the hobby have prompted livestock vendors to assign them a variety of common names including: Leopard Eel, Honeycomb Moray Eel, Tessellated Eel, Giraffe Eel, Blackspotted Moray Eel and Tessalata Moray Eel. They have a wide distribution across tropical reefs ranging from Eastern Africa to the Indo-West Pacific, typically in water depths that range from 10 to 150 feet in depth.

The reported length of the Tessalata Moray Eel varies quite a bit with a typical reported length of about 6 feet, but with some reporting lengths upwards of 9 feet in length. Tessalata Moray Eels are one of the most aggressive species of Eels found within the aquarium hobby trade, thus caution should be exercised when working in an aquarium housing this species. Their bite can both be very painful and can cause a bacterial infection. It is important to clean the area around the wound and seek immediate medical attention if you see any signs of redness or swelling.

To properly care for an adult Tessalata Moray Eel, it is important to provide them a large aquarium that is at least 2 feet from front to back and 6 feet in length. The aquarium should be well sealed with a tight fitting lid that is also weighted or physically secured so that it cannot be pushed open by the Eel. They should be provided proper aqua-scaping that includes large rocky caves and crevices that provide enough room for the Eel to retreat into fully. The Tessalata Moray Eel does not have specific lighting and water flow requirements, but they should be provided with strong mechanical and biological filtration in order to deal with the high bio-load they place on the aquarium due to their size and large food portions.

Tessalata Moray Eels are very aggressive and should only be housed with other very large aggressive species that will not be seen as prey items. Tessalata Moray Eel owners should also we careful when working in the aquarium as they are known to bite at hobbyists working within the aquarium. Their large size makes them unsuitable for most all but the largest reef aquariums, as they can easily bump and damage sensitive corals.

Tessalata Moray Eel will also consider most crustaceans and many invertebrates as a food source, which also makes them a poor candidate for a reef aquarium. It is best to house them with other large marine predators in an aquarium that is large enough to provide enough territory for each species. A good starting point is a 180 gallon aquarium, with large aquariums exceeding 300 gallons being even more ideal.

The Tessalata Moray Eel is an aggressive feeder, much more so than most species of eel commonly seen within the aquarium trade. Its diet should consist of variety of meaty foods including krill, raw table shrimp, squid, clam and mussel. They are quite aggressive towards tank mates smaller than themselves and will eat other fish in the aquarium if they small enough to fit into its mouth. Tessalata Moray Eels should only be kept with very large fish species as any smaller fish or invertebrates will be eaten. There should be no problems getting this species to begin feeding as it will readily take to most any meaty foods offered to it via a feeding stick or tongs.