Gymnothorax tile

Gymnothorax tile
A freshwater moray.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Muraenidae
Genus:	Gymnothorax
Species:	G. tile
Binomial name
Gymnothorax tile (F. Hamilton, 1822)

Gymnothorax tile is a moray eel found in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.^[1] It was first named by Hamilton in 1822,^[1] and is commonly known as the freshwater moray, freshwater snowflake eel, or the Indian mud moray. Gymnothorax tile lives in marine conditions but travels to freshwater for breeding and spawning. When kept as pets, G. tile actually thrive better in brackish water, rather than pure freshwater. G. tile is said to reach a length of about 24 inches (0.61 m) long. These eels can live up to 30 years. G. tile is characterized by a black body with orange and white speckles covering the length of their body. Gymnothorax tile, like any other eel, possesses a second set of jaws, called the pharyngeal jaws, to swallow their prey. This eel also possesses terrible eyesight, and instead relies upon a keen sense of smell as well as vibrations in the water to detect prey or approaching threats. Gymnothorax tile is for the most part a scavenger who eats dead fish, krill, shrimp, and other such foods. Due to its poor eyesight, G. tile does not hunt on a normal basis, but will resort to hunting if there is no other option.

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