SADDLED SNAKE EEL
Leiruanus semicinctus (Lay & Bennett, 1839)
A series of black saddles on a white body distinguish this eel from all others in Hawai`i. Rarely seen in the open, it is encountered most often on reef flats where it feeds on small fishes and crustaceans. If threatened, it burrows back rapidly into the sand with its stiff tail tip. It might be most active at night. On occasion it has been mistaken for the Banded Sea Snake (Laticauda colubrina), which does not occur in Hawai`i. Indo-Pacific. To about 2 ft. Photo: Fernando Lopez Arbarello, Honolua Bay, Maui. 4 ft.