Undulated moray
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| Undulated Moray | ||||||||||||||
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| Gymnothorax undulatus (Lacepède, 1803) |
The undulated moray, Gymnothorax undulatus, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific oceans from the Red Sea and East Africa, including Walters Shoal (33° 20' S, 43° 30' E in the south-western Indian Ocean), to French Polynesia, north to southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef, and also the eastern Central Pacific from Costa Rica and Panama at depths down to 30 m. Their length is up to 1.5 m.
The undulated moray has a distinctive pattern of light undulating lines and speckles on a dark green background, with a snout that is often yellow. It is a common species on reef flats among rocks, rubble, or debris and it also occurs in lagoons and seaward reefs, commonly inhabiting caves. It is a nocturnal species that feeds on fishes, octopuses, and probably crustaceans.
It is reported to be an aggressive species and prone to bite. It is used in Chinese medicine.
[edit] References
- "Gymnothorax undulatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. June 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
