Ecology Summary - Gymnothorax favagineus

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Main Ref.	Chen, H.-M., K.-T. Shao and C.T. Chen, 1994
Remarks	Fiercely territorial. Associated with Labroides dimidiatus, which feeds on its gill parasites (Ref. 129713). Dwells in coral (Also Ref. 129713) and rocky reefs, in dark holes and deep caves. Predator. Reportedly has mutualistic associations with spiny lobsters. Feeds on octopuses, finfishes and marine invertebrates (Ref. 9773). Inhabits reef flats and outer reef slopes of continental reefs. One of the two largest of Indo-Pacific morays. Feeds on cephalopods and small fishes.

Main Ref.

Chen, H.-M., K.-T. Shao and C.T. Chen, 1994

Remarks

Fiercely territorial. Associated with Labroides dimidiatus, which feeds on its gill parasites (Ref. 129713). Dwells in coral (Also Ref. 129713) and rocky reefs, in dark holes and deep caves. Predator. Reportedly has mutualistic associations with spiny lobsters. Feeds on octopuses, finfishes and marine invertebrates (Ref. 9773). Inhabits reef flats and outer reef slopes of continental reefs. One of the two largest of Indo-Pacific morays. Feeds on cephalopods and small fishes.

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Gymnothorax favagineus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic; Hard Bottom: rocky;
Substrate Ref.	Al-Abdessalaam, T.Z.S., 1995
Special habitats	Coral Reefs; Other habitats: other invertebrates (Corals.);
Special habitats Ref.	Flandinette, P., 2022

Associations

Ref.	Flandinette, P., 2022
Associations	mutualism;
Associated with	unspecified gill parasites; Labroides dimidiatus (Ref. 129713). Spiny lobsters receive protection and act as bait while the species feeds on lobster predators, usually octopuses (Ref. 9773).
Association remarks
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Sommer, C., W. Schneider and J.-M. Poutiers, 1996
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Sommer, C., W. Schneider and J.-M. Poutiers, 1996

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	Original sample		Unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	4.39	0.51			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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