Tiger Reef Eel, Scuticaria tigrina

Tiger Reef Eel, Scuticaria tigrina. Fish caught from coastal waters off Kona, Hawaii, March 2021. Length: 98 cm (3 feet 2 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Tiger Reef Eel, Scuticaria tigrina. Fish caught from coastal waters off Kona, Hawaii, March 2021. Length: 1.12 m (3 feet 8 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Tiger Reef Eel, Scuticaria tigrina. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, April 2013. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

The Tiger Reef Eel, Scuticaria tigrina, is a member of the Moray and Snake Moray Eel or Muraenidae Family, that is also known as the Leopard Moray and in Mexico as morena atigrada. Globally, there are two members in the genus Scuticaria and this species is the only one found in Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Tiger Reef Eel has an elongated body with a depth that is 2.7% to 3.2% of total length. They are yellowish-brown and covered with large and small well-separated, irregular, and round black spots with yellow edges. Their lower jaw is covered with black specks. Their head has a short rounded snout with gill openings slightly above mid-body. They have a large mouth equipped with slender sharp teeth set in 2 rows on both jaws. Their anal and dorsal fins are small and only visible near the caudal fin. Their tail is short and approximately one-third of their total length.

The Tiger Reef Eel is a benthic species found in lagoons and oceanic reefs on sand and between rocks at depths up to 24 m (80 feet). They reach a maximum of 1.4 m (4 feet 7 inches) in length. They are very secretive and have poor eyesight and a keen sense of smell. They take shelter during daylight hours and are active nighttime predators consuming crustaceans, mollusks, and sea urchins. Reproduction has been poorly studied but is believed to occur via protogynous hermaphroditism, whereby females transition to males at midlife. Eggs are pelagic. The Tiger Reef Eel  is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Tiger Reef Eel has a wide distribution being found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In Mexican waters they are found only from La Paz to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, along the extreme southeast coast of Baja.

The Tiger Reef Eel is most likely confused with the Pacific Snake Eel, Ophichthus triserialis (large eyes; tail measuring 53% to 58% of total length).

From a conservation perspective the Tiger Reef Eel is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are seldom seen by humans and enjoy modest popularity as aquarium fish being docile and elegant. They require large tanks with crevices for hiding and moderate care. They are known as escape artists. Although visually intimidating, they are actually very timid, will seldom bite humans, and are considered harmless to humans. They are considered to be at risk due to coral reef degradation and coastal habitat destruction caused by human development.