Zebra moray
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| Zebra moray | ||||||||||||||
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| Gymnomuraena zebra (Shaw, 1797) |
The zebra moray, Gymnomuraena zebra, is a species of saltwater eels, the only member of the genus Gymnomuraena of the Muraenidae (Moray eel) family. It is found in the Indo-Pacific oceans from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Society Islands, north to the Ryukyu and Hawaiian Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef, in the eastern Central Pacific from southern Baja California, Mexico and from Guatemala to northern Colombia, including the Galapagos Islands. Its length is up to 1.5 m
The zebra moray has close-set pebble-like teeth used for crushing hard-shelled prey, and a rounded snout. It is a secretive inhabitant of sandy and rocky bottoms, crevices and ledges of seaward reefs. It feeds primarily on xanthid crabs, but also on other crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins.
Coloration includes close-set narrow dark bands, giving rise to its common name.
[edit] References
- "Gymnomuraena zebra". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. June 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
