Indo-Pacific: East Africa to the Tuamoto Islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia and French Polynesia; including Marianas and Marshalls.

Has three fleshy tentacles on the tip of its lower jaw, a single fleshy pointed projection at the tip of its snout, and tubular anterior nostrils ending in gaudy, fanlike expansions.

Occur in lagoon and seaward reefs. Secretive species normally hidden in sand or rubble, sometimes with only its head protruding. Feed on small fishes. Juveniles all black, males have yellow dorsal fin and females change to a nearly all yellow color, but usually with blue in the posterioR. Only moray that undergoes abrupt changes in coloration and sex: it is a protandrous hermaphrodite, i.e., functioning males reverse sex to become females.