61 photos - 27 species
Introduction
A large and diverse family (about 200 known species)
characterised by a large mouth with many teeth.
Many hunt openly in the water at night
and are hidden in the coral during the day, with only their heads sticking out.
They are all hunters who can smell very well but have poor eyesight.
Their size varies between 17 cm and 2.50 m depending on the species.
Echidna catenata
Chain moray
Maximum length: 75 cm
Depth: 0 - 15 metres
Their whole body has a pale to bright yellow chain-like pattern,
yellow eyes and a strong body.
Native to shallow reefs with clear water.
Like other species, it hides during the day in crevices,
holes and niches where only its head is visible.
At night it goes in search of food.
Not shy, allows close approach.
Photos 1 - 3 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Echidna nebulosa
Snowflake moray or Clouded moray
Maximum length: 70 cm
Depth: 1 - 15 m
A shallow-water species that also hunts during the day.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Echidna polyzona
Barred moray, Banded moray, Dark-banded eel, Girdled moray,
Girdled reef eel, Many banded moray eel, Ringed moray,
Ringed reef moray, Striped moray or Zebra eel
Maximum length: 60 cm
Depth: 0 - 15 m
The dark bands recede with age.
Hides well in crevices during the day, comes out at night and hunts shrimps and crabs.
Not aggressive, but shy.
Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Photos 2 - 3 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Enchelycore carychroa
Caribbean chestnut moray
Maximum length: 33 cm
Depth: 1 - 30 m
Edges of the jaws with a row of white dots.
As the jaws are curved, only the tips touch when the mouth is closed.
Numerous pointed teeth are therefore always visible.
Rarely seen.
Shy, withdraws when approached.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Enchelycore nigricans
Mottled conger moray, Mulatto conger or Viper moray
Maximum length: 30 - 75 cm
Depth: 1 - 30 m
Arched jaw, so that only the tips touch.
Numerous pointed teeth are visible.
Hidden during the day, foraging at night.
Shy, withdraws into the reef when approached.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Gymnomuraena zebra
Zebra moray
Maximum length: 1.50 m
Depth: 10 - 50 metres
This species can only be seen completely at night if you are lucky.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Gymnothorax breedeni
Blackcheek moray eel or Masked moray
Maximum length: 70 cm
This species is very aggressive, it lives close to the top of reef
slopes where flagfish swarm and where it hunts them.
It will also scare away other bannerfish eaters, such as jackfish,
but also divers who are bold enough to come too close to its camp.
Photo 1 Johnny: Embudu Maldives
Gymnothorax chlamydatus
Banded mud moray eel
Maximum length: 70 cm
Depth: 8 - 30 m
Inhabits coasts with sandy to muddy bottoms.
Drills a hole in the sand by digging itself in tail-first.
It feeds mainly on rock shrimps, prawns, small fish, crabs and crustaceans.
Photos 1 - 4 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Gymnothorax eurostus
Abbott's moray eel or Stout moray
Maximum length: 40 cm
Depth: 2 - 25 m
Lives in crevices of coral reefs.
Has numerous small yellow spots that become larger towards the back.
Dark spots and blotches mainly cover the front body of this animal.
Photo 1 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Gymnothorax favagineus
Laced moray, Leopard moray, Leopard moray eel, Tessellate moray
orr Honeycomb moray
Maximum length: 2.5 m
Depth: 5 - 40 m
They have numerous dark spots surrounded by a thin white net pattern,
resulting in a honeycomb-like pattern.
Individual specimens can also be almost completely black.
Photo 1 Johnny: Embudu Maldives
Gymnothorax fimbriatus
Fimbriated moray, Dark-spotted moray or Spot-face moray
Maximum length: 40 cm
Depth: 10 - 50 m
Rare species that thrives where shrimps have established cleaning stations.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi
Photo 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Gymnothorax flavimarginatus
Yellow-edged moray, Yellow-margin(ed) moray, Leopard moray
or Speckled moray
Maximum length: 1.2
Depth: 3 - 60 metres
This species has strong teeth and hunts various reef fish at night.
They are rarely seen completely in the open.
Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Photo 2 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt
Gymnothorax funebris
Green moray
Maximum length: 2.40 m
Depth: 3 - 35 m
Unicoloured green to brown, has a strong figure without any markings.
Native to reefs and bays, hides during the day in crevices,
holes and niches where only its head is visible.
At night it goes in search of food, where it can sometimes be seen at full length.
Not shy, close approach possible.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Gymnothorax griseus
Geometric moray
Maximum length: 65 cm
Depth: 1 - 30 metres
They are a medium sized moray eel species.
The body is light grey with yellowish spots.
Black dots form a striking line pattern on the darker head.
The body itself is, as with all moray eels, eel-like.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Gymnothorax javanicus
Giant moray
Maximum length: 2.3 m
Depth: 10 - 50 m
Easily recognised by their leopard spot pattern.
Teeth are impressive.
Largest moray eel species.
Predominantly fish-eaters, occasionally crustaceans.
Unpredated attacks with serious injuries have been recorded.
The front teeth are long and pointed.
Photos 1 - 4 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Gymnothorax meleagris
Turkey moray, Guineafowl moray or White-mouth/whitemouth moray
Maximum length: 1.2 m
Depth: 1 - 40 m
Characteristics: brightly coloured mouth.
Photo 1 Johnny: Embudu Maldives
Gymnothorax miliaris
Goldentail moray, Bastard eel or Conger moray
Maximum length: 60 cm
Depth: 2 - 15 metres
Brown in colour, with small yellow spots,
the tip of the tail is yellow to golden, the pupil has a yellow ring.
It is found in coral reefs, where it hides during the day in crevices,
holes and niches, where its head often pokes out.
At night it forages in the reef.
Not shy, allows approach.
Photos 1 - 2 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean
Photos 3 - 4 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Gymnothorax moringa
Spotted moray
Maximum length: 1.20 m
Depth: 2 - 15 m
White to yellow basic colouring, covered with dark, regular and irregular spots.
Native to shallow reefs and seagrass beds.
During the day they hide in crevices, holes and niches, with only their heads sticking out.
It can be found at night when it is looking for food.
Not shy, allows close approach.
Photo 1 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean
Photos 2 - 3 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Gymnothorax nudivomer
Starry moray or Yellowmouth moray
Maximum length: 1.2 m.
Depth: 1 - 165 m
Inhabits caves singly or in pairs.
Its mouth is bright yellow on the inside.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Gymnothorax rueppelliae
Banded moray, Banded reef-eel, Rüppel's moray eel, Black barred eel,
Yellow-headed moray eel or Yellow-headed moray
Maximum length: 55 cm
Depth: 3 - 30 metres
This moray eel is shy and mostly nocturnal.
Divers rarely see this species.
Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Gymnothorax saxicola
Ocellated moray or Honeycomb moray
Maximum length 60 cm
Depth: 10 - 100 m
Numerous pale spots form a net-like pattern on the body.
Different body colours, cream to yellow, yellow-brown to brown tones.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Gymnothorax thyrsoideus
Greyface moray eel, Freckled moray, Slender moray
or White-eyed moray
Maximum length: 65 cm
Depth: 1 - 35 m
This species can be easily recognised by its clearly white eyes.
Photo 1 Astrid: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Photo 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Gymnothorax undulatus
Undulated moray
Maximum length: 1.5 m
Depth: 1 - 30 m
Preferably between coral rubble, also in lagoons and outer reefs.
Photo 1 Johnny: Embudu Maldives
Photo 2 Johnny: El Quesir Egypt
Purplemouth moray eel
Maximum length: 1.2 m
Depth: 3 - 12 m
Eyes bright yellow to golden.
Body colour yellowish mottled in brown tones.
During the day, hidden in niches with the head sticking out,
at night they can be found hunting outside.
Photos 1 - 2 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean
Gymnothorax zonipectis
Barred-fin moray or Bar-tail moray
Maximum length: 46 cm
Depth: 6 - 30 m
Prefers reefs with rich coral growth.
Hidden during the day, hunting freely at night.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines
Photo 3 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Rhinomuraena quaesita
Ribbon eel, Leaf-nosed moray eel or Bernis eel
Maximum length: 120 cm
Depth: 1 - 55 m
Lives hidden in the sand or between coral rubble, with only the head sticking out.
This moray eel species is a protandric hermaphrodite.
This means that the individuals reach sexual maturity as males
and later change sex to become females.
During this change, they change colour. Males turn black,
females blue with bright yellow fins, old females then turn completely yellow.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Photo 3 Astrid: Lembeh Strait North Sulawesi
Scuticaria tigrina
Tiger reef-eel, Tiger snake moray, Tiger moray eel, Tiger moray
Tiger eel, Spotted eel or Spotted snake moray
Maximum length: 1.2 m
Depth: 5 - 20 m
Pale brown to pale yellowish body with numerous large and small dark brown,
irregularly rounded spots.
Teeth slender and sharp.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt