Species to Generally Avoid:
I know I'm going to get heat for this section as usual. There
are folks who have had Moorish idols that thrived on banana chips; still others
carrying on clairvoyant relationships with their Ornatissimus butterflies. I've
seen this, have mercy! But for most of us mere mortals the following does hold
true.
|
Rhinomuraena quaesita Garman
1888, the
Ribbon Moray Eel. Ninety nine percent plus do not live a month in
captivity. Most starve, refusing all food. Next most common category of
loss is escape through the smallest of top openings, or plumbing. Last is
"simple stress".
The written record shows some people's success with
netting food and eel together and shaking, training on select live
skewered items; but most black to blue to all yellow female ribbon morays
perish within a short while. You've been cautioned. Rhinomuraena
quaesita: Fiji image at right or
a changeling female and male.
Below, a juvenile (black) and male in N. Sulawesi and a female in Mabul,
Malaysia. Females are mostly to all yellow
in color.
|
 
|
Most Gymnothorax species get too big, are too
aggressive and strong for all but the most humungous systems. If you're going to
try these, watch your fingers, tankmates and lock (yes, lock!) that cover down.
For cooler water species, do invest in and run a chiller. species get too big,
are too aggressive and strong for all but the most humungous systems. If you're
going to try these, watch your fingers, tankmates and lock (yes, lock!) that
cover down. For cooler water species, do invest in and run a chiller.
Too often offered to the hobby are the Atlantic green G.
funebris, to eight feet! Others include G. javanicus, the Javan or
Giant Moray (to ten feet!) and G. flavimarginatus to a mere four feet.
| Gymnothorax breedeni McCosker & Randall 1977, the
Blackcheek Moray. To a meter in length. Indo-Pacific, sporadically
distributed on many island rocky reefs. Very numerous in the Marquesas.
Nuka Hiva pix. |
|
| Gymnothorax castaneus (Jordan & Gilbert 1883), the
Chestnut Moray (to science) or Morena Verde. To 150 cm. Eastern
Pacific; Sea of Cortez to Ecuador, including the Galapagos, particularly the
northern islands of Darwin and Wolf. Aquarium image. |
 |
| Gymnothorax dovii (Gunther 1870), the
Speckled or Fine-Spotted Moray. To 150 cm. Eastern
Pacific; Sea of Cortez to Ecuador, including the Galapagos, particularly the
northern islands of Darwin and Wolf. Wolf images. |
 |
| Gymnothorax eurostus (Abbott 1861), Stout Moray.
Light brown with gold spots, tubular nostrils. To about 2 foot in length.
Indo-Pacific. Most common moray species in nearshore Similar to the also
common Yellow-Margin Moray, but with a more pointed snout and dark spots
on the forward half of the body. Hawaii pix. |
|
| Gymnothorax fimbriatus (Bennett 1832), the Fimbriated
Moray. To 80 cm. (32 inches) in length. Indo-Pacific; Madagascar to
Society Islands. Feed on fish and crustaceans at night. Nuka Hiva,
Marquesas, Polynesia pix. |
|
| Gymnothorax funebris Ranzani 1840, the Green Moray.
Tropical Eastern and Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. To about eight
feet in length (250 cm.) and 29 kg. A dangerous biting Moray that mainly
eats crustaceans and fishes in the wild... most everything in captivity.
Best left in the sea or the occasional public aquarium display where this
shot was made. |
|
| Gymnothorax javanicus (Bleeker 1859), Giant Moray. To
ten feet, 3 meters in length. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, East Africa to
Hawai'i. Feeds principally on fishes, secondarily on crustaceans. Largest
Moray species according to Fishbase. Shown here in the Red Sea and
Polynesia. |
|
| Gymnothorax meleagris (Shaw & Nodder 1795), the
White Mouth Moray. Brown to black with numerous white spots. Dark spot
around gill opening. Indo-Pacific. Most common Hawaiian puhi/moray. To
about forty inches in length. Hawai'i image. |
|
| Gymnothorax pictus (Ahl
1789), the Peppered Moray. Indo-Pacific; East Africa to the eastern
Pacific, Hawai'i. To five feet in length. This one off Kona. |
|
| Gymnothorax undulatus
(Lacepede 1803), the Undulated Moray. Indo-Pacific; East Africa to the
French Polynesia, Hawai'i. To five and a half feet in length. One in
Hawai'i, another in captivity. |
|
| Scuticaria tigrina Lesson 1830, the Tiger Reef Eel.
Indo-Pacific; East Africa to the tropical eastern Pacific, including
Hawai'i. To 120 cm. in length. Secretive, nocturnal. Found foraging
between rocks at night. Aquarium photo. |
|
Other Morays:
With eleven genera and roughly 165
described species, you can be sure to see an "oddball" Moray eel if
you keep your eyes open... Know what you're getting into if you intend to try
one of these unknowns... At least look up the species in ICLARM's Fishbase (www.fishbase.com)
under the family name, Muraenidae... to gain some insights into how big the
species gets, what it eats...
| Muraena argus Gilbert 1898, the Hour-Glass
Moray. Eastern Pacific; Mexico to Peru. To a meter in length. One off
of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico's Baja tip, another in the Galapagos Islands. |
|
| Muraena clepsydra (Steindachner 1870), the White-Spotted
Moray. Eastern Pacific; Mexico to Peru, including the Galapagos. Prominent
dark spot with white border over the gill opening. To almost a meter in length.
One off of the Galapagos Islands. |
 |
About Freshwater Morays:
| There are some
species of muraenids that occasionally enter freshwater in tropical and
temperate areas. Click on the link above for coverage. |
|
Conclusions:
The favored species mentioned make excellent aquarium specimens, a majority
of individuals adapting to aquarium care easily, readily accepting prepared
foods, neither launching themselves out of your system, nor sampling their
tankmates or your hand when doing routine maintenance. Once acclimated to a tank
they prove durable, disease resistant pets.
Other moray species are problematical, growing too large, escaping even the
most heavily covered tank. Many starve outright refusing all food, others consider all within their capacious jaws as fair
game.
Forewarned is forearmed. The vast majority of muraenids are suitable only for
public aquaria or visiting in their domain.
It is my opinion that morays provide predatory pressure in a
role similar to several sharks, cleaning up the reefs by eating weakened,
damaged prey. They should be there.
Bibliography/Further Reading:
Axelrod, H.R., Burgess, W.E. & R.E. Hunziker III. 1990.
Atlas of Aquarium Fishes, Vol. 1 Marine Fish. T.F.H. Publ. Inc., N.J..
Campbell, Douglas C.. 1980. Morays, the Ever Popular Eels.
Freshwater and Marine Aquarium. 10/80.
Castro, Alfred D. 2001. A freshwater moray eel? AFM 8/2001.
Chlupaty, P. Undated. The Leopard Moray, an exciting yet
beautiful predator. Aquarium Digest Intl. #37.
Esterbauer, Hans. 1994. The Ecology & Behavior of Moray
Eels. Tropical Fish Hobbyist. 2/94.
Fenner, Robert. 2000. The Zebra Moray Eel, Gymnomuraena
zebra. FAMA 7/00.
Fenner, Robert. 1995. Moray eels of the family Muraenidae.
TFH 3/95.
Gonzales, Deane. 1976. Puhi (Eel in Hawaiian). Marine
Aquarist. 7(7):76.
Hemdal, Jay. 1986. The Ribbon Eel (Rhinomuraena quaesita).
Freshwater and Marine Aquarist. 2/86.
Howe, Jeffrey C. 1997. Original Descriptions (column).
Siderea flavocula Bohlke and Randall 1996. FAMA 12/97.
Margaritas, Anargyros. 1988. Sea Serpents in Your Home.
Tropical Fish Hobbyist. 11/88.
Michael, Scott W. 1996. Fishes for the marine aquarium, pts.
22, 23; The morays- serpents of the sea. Aquarium Fish Magazine 7,8/96.
Neal, Tom. 1994. Keeping the Ribbon Eel. Tropical Fish
Hobbyist. 5/94.
Nelson, Joseph. 1976. Fishes of the World. John Wiley &
Sons.
