Greyface moray eel

Greyface moray eel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Muraenidae
Genus: Gymnothorax
Species: G. thyrsoideus
Binomial name
Gymnothorax thyrsoideus
(J. Richardson, 1845)

The greyface moray, freckled moray, slender moray, or white-eyed moray,[1] Gymnothorax thyrsoideus, is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.

Description

The greyface moray is a medium-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 66 cm, but the ones usually observed are rather 40 cm.[2][3] Its serpentine in shape body has a brown yellowish background color with variation of intensity from a moray to another and it is speckled with a lot of small dark spots. The head is grey to brownish with distinctive white eyes. Here is a video of the eel in its natural habitat.

Distribution & habitat

The greyface moray is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific area from India and Maldives to Polynesia and from south Japan to Australia and New Caledonia.[4]

This moray likes shallow and somewhat turbid waters from lagoons, protected reefs, areas rich in debris and wrecks from the surface to 35 meters deep.[5]

Biology

The greyface moray is a carnivore and benthic fish. At day, it sits in a shelter often along with other morays and when night came it leaves its lair and actively hunt prey, consisting of small fish and crustaceans.

References

  1. ↑ Common names for Gymnothorax thyrsoideus at www.fishbase.org.
  2. ↑ Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann, 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
  3. ↑ Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
  4. ↑ Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene 1990 Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
  5. ↑ Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann, 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.


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