A relatively large whitish spot is located below the back corner of the eye.

The barred-fin moray is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific area from the eastern coast of Africa to Polynesia and Hawaii, and also from Taiwan and southern Japan to New Caledonia.

This moray eel likes shallow and detrital waters from lagoons and external reef slopes up to 132 feet (40 meters).

[5][6] The barred-fin moray is a carnivore, solitary, secretive and benthic animal.

During daytime, it sits in a shelter where it lives often invisible and at night, it goes out to actively hunt prey, consisting of small fishes.