| Family: |
Muraenidae (Moray eels), subfamily: Uropterygiinae |
| Max. size: |
21.9 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: tropical, from central Indian Ocean in the west to the Phoenix and Line Islands in the east; southernmost records from about 21°S in Tonga, northernmost from about 19°N in the Philippines. Not recorded anywhere west of the Maldives, although it reaches as far as Palmyra I. in the east and does not occur in the Hawaiian Islands nor anywhere in French Polynesia. |
| Diagnosis: |
This species is distinguished from its congeners except A. exulatus and A. schultzi by the position of the fourth supraorbital pore, anteromedial to the posterior nostril and separated from it by an interval of normal, pigmented skin; fewer vertebrae 98-108 (vs. 110-117 in A. exulatus and 105-113 in A. schultzi); longer snout-anus distance 45.1-50.6% TL (vs. 40.3-45.1% in A. exulatus and 41.5-45.1% in A. schultzi); with discrete, sharply defined pale spots (vs. larger, more diffuse pale areas oriented vertically in A. exulatus and uniform brown of A. schultzi) (Ref. 85321). |
| Biology: |
Most specimens were collected in relatively shallow water on coral reefs and rocky areas along the shore and are not recorded deeper than 10 m. Cryptic and rarely, if ever seen except when collected with ichthyocides (Ref. 85321). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 16 August 2011 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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