Originally Posted by wanabebell
aw2, ive heard jeweled morays be called mexican dragons
is there a difference
I know there's a difference, it's just so hard to prove it.
The common names have been so mixed up, over the years, that you cant search and find the difference. The mouth is different, the head shape is different, the coloration (spots) are somewhat similar and the total length is different. There's no possible way that that they could be the same species. I know that some Morays have slightly coloration patterns (like the Tesselata), but you can easily tell that they're all still Tesselatas.
Some people say that the Mexican is a juvenile Jeweled and the other way around, but I know that's not the case either. I've seen adults, of each species, in fish stores and also in the wild.
To me, there will always be a difference. I always refer to the "Dragon" as the Mexican and the Jeweled as the Jeweled.