moray marking

I took this picture in about 40-50 feet of water off Palm Beach, FL. Can someone tell me what caused the strange yellow sine wave marking on the nose? It appears it may also continue up the head as a lighter green.

Thanks,

I know very little about Morays but it looks like some sort of worm... probably a parasite.

I know very little about Morays but it looks like some sort of worm... probably a parasite.

That was my thought also. Especially since it appears that the marking may continue up the head as a lighter green. I sent the picture to Sport Fishing magazine which has a column each edition where they identify fish or answer questions sent in by subscribers. They sent it to Ray Waldner at Palm Beach Atlantic University who specializes in ichthyology, who then sent it to Bert Williams at the University of Puerto Rico's Department of Marine Sciences who is a marine parasitologist. Bert is still checking references but thinks it may be a new species of didymozoan worm (a "tissue fluke") that has encapsulated beneath the eel's skin. He is still checking references to try to find.

Anyway, the photo will get published in Sport Fishinng with the answer to my inquiry and Dr. Williams may try to get it published in Coral Reefs Journal if he decides it is a likely new species. Coral Reefs evidently has a section where they publish pictures with short explanations.