PHOTO: SHARIF SARWAR

PHANTOM OF THE SEA … A leopard eel, also known as honeycomb moray or “chitah bagh machh” in Bangladesh, was recently spotted off Saint Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal -- a rare sighting, as little is known about their presence here. With their black-and-white patterned bodies, these eels glide through coral reefs like living art. Despite their sharp teeth and fierce look, they’re shy hunters, hiding in crevices and coming out at night to catch fish and crustaceans. Their constant jaw movement, often mistaken as aggression, is simply how they breathe. Growing up to 10 feet long, they’re popular among divers but best admired from a distance. In the reef’s quiet corners, the leopard eel is a beautiful reminder of the wild beneath the waves.