Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Gymnothorax: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, thorax, -akos = breast (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Bleeker.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 20 m (Ref. 86942). Tropical
Indo-West Pacific: Oman and India east to Philippines; north to Japan, south to Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2334)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0; Vertebrae: 127 - 135. Color pale yellowish; dark brown spots clustering to form larger ones in about 4 irregular rows along the body. Margin of fins white in juveniles; reduced to tip of tail in adults. Vertebrae 127-135.
Found in shallow reefs, including tidepools (Ref 90102); in turbid waters with muddy substrates (B. Haze, pers.comm., 11/2023).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Chen, H.-M., K.-T. Shao and C.T. Chen, 1994. A review of the muraenid eels (Family Muraenidae) from Taiwan with descriptions of twelve new records. Zool. Stud. 33(1):44-64. (Ref. 6934)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of potential interest
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 24.7 - 29.3, mean 28.1 °C (based on 2036 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00032 (0.00021 - 0.00047), b=3.38 (3.26 - 3.50), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.52 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (52 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 34 [18, 57] mg/100g; Iron = 0.455 [0.272, 0.951] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [16.5, 21.3] %; Omega3 = 0.0943 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 35.7 [19.9, 71.8] μg/100g; VitaminA = 64.7 [18.4, 200.2] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.02 [0.73, 1.41] mg/100g (wet weight);