| Goldentail moray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Goldentail moray (Gymnothorax miliaris) in the waters off San Salvador Island, Bahamas | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Muraenidae |
| Genus: | Gymnothorax |
| Species: | G. miliaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Gymnothorax miliaris (Kaup, 1856) | |
Gymnothorax miliaris, the goldentail moray, bastard eel, [1] or conger moray, is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae. [2]
The goldentail moray is a medium-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 70 cm, but the ones usually observed are rather average 40 cm in length. [3] [4] Its serpentine in shape body has a brown light or dark background color dotted with small yellow spots. These later are smaller on the head and larger at the tail. The snout and the tail are yellowish. The inside of their mouth is white.
A color morph of the eel, frequently called the "Banana Eel", [5] is mostly yellow with large spots instead of many small spots.
The goldentail moray is widespread throughout the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, so it is present from Florida, Bermudas until southeast Brazil. [6] [7] [8] Its presence was also reported in the islands from the center of the Atlantic Ocean like Saint Helena and Ascension but also close to the African coast in the Cape Verde Islands. [6] [3]
It typically lives on rocky and coral reef slopes between the surface and 35 meters (115.5 feet) in depth with a maximum reported at 60 meters (198 feet). [9] [10]
The goldentail moray is a solitary carnivorous fish, it leaves its lair at night to actively hunt its prey along the reef but it has also been observed hunting during daytime. It feeds mainly on small invertebrates like crustaceans and mollusks, rarely on small fishes.
Moray eels, or Muraenidae, are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are found in fresh water.
The spotted moray is a medium to large moray eel. Other common names include conger, spotted eel, red moray, speckled moray, white cong, white jawed moray, white-chinned moray and white-jawed moray eel. Spotted eels have a long snake-like body, white or pale yellow in general with small overlapping reddish brown to dark-brown spots. They are commonly 60 cm (24 in) in length and can grow up to 2 m (6.6 ft), weighing 2.51 kg (5.5 lb). They inhabit the Western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. They are also found around the Mid- and Eastern Atlantic islands as far south as St Helena. They are typically found anywhere from the surface to a depth of 200 m (660 ft).
The laced moray, also known as the leopard moray, leopard moray eel, tessellate moray or honeycomb moray, is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
Gymnothorax is a genus of fish in the family Muraenidae found in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. With more than 120 species, it the most speciose genus of moray eels.
The Kidako moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae. It inhabits coral reefs or lagoons and could be found in tropical and subtropical seas near Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. The species is diurnal, which means it is more active in the daytime than the nighttime. It is also piscivorous: it consumes fish, octopus, and squid. Other than the Kidako moray, there are about 200 species of moray eels in the Muraenidae family. The Kidako moray would not attack humans unless they are provoked. However, due to the menacing looks of the Kidako moray and moray eels in general, they are feared by divers and snorkelers.
The zebra moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae. It is the only member of the genus Gymnomuraena, though it sometimes has been included in Echidna instead.
The yellow-edged moray, also known as yellow-margin(ed) moray, leopard moray, and speckled moray, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific Oceans at depths to 150 m (500 ft).
The green moray is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Long Island, New York, Bermuda, and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, at depths down to 40 metres (130 ft). Its length is up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft). It is the largest moray species of the tropical Atlantic and one of the largest species of moray eel known. Though it is not considered endangered, the species is particularly under-studied and estimated to be undercounted by up to 400% in single-pass visual surveys.
The snowflake moray, also known as the clouded moray among many vernacular names, is a species of marine eel of the family Muraenidae. It has blunt teeth ideal for its diet of crustaceans, a trait it shares with the zebra moray.
Abbott's moray eel, also known as the stout moray, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific, antitropical in distribution. It is found in the eastern Pacific from Costa Rica to Easter Island, at depths of 40 m. Its length is up to 60 cm. Abbott's moray eel is a shallow-water, inshore reef species, though not often seen. They are voracious nocturnal carnivores feeding mostly on reef fishes.
The turkey moray ,also known as the guineafowl moray or as the white-mouth/whitemouth moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
The fimbriated moray, also known as dark-spotted moray or spot-face moray, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae.
The giant moray is a species of moray eel and a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae. In terms of body mass, it is the largest moray eel; however, the slender giant moray is the largest in terms of body length.
The round scad is a species of fish in the Carangidae. It was described in 1829 by the French naturalist and zoologist, Georges Cuvier. Although the round scad is considered a good food fish, it is mostly caught for use as bait.
Gymnothorax nudivomer, the starry moray or yellowmouth moray, is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
The panamic green moray eel is a large moray eel in the Pacific. Common names also include chestnut moray eel.
The saucereye porgy is an ocean-going species of fish in the family Sparidae. In Bermuda, they are also known as the goat's head porgy. In Jamaica, they are known as the Porgi grunt and the sugareye porgy. They may also be known simply by the name Porgy in several other Caribbean islands. Saucereye porgies are considered to be minor gamefishes and when caught are marketed both fresh and frozen.
The whitemargin moray or the white-edged moray, Gymnothorax albimarginatus, is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
The blackcheek moray eel or masked moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
The barred-fin moray or bar-tail moray is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
Media related to Gymnothorax miliaris at Wikimedia Commons