Family Muraenidae Rank Species | Genus Gymnothorax Phylum Chordata Order Eel | |
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Similar Gymnothorax, Eel, Barred‑fin moray, Fimbriated moray, Banded moray eel | ||
Denver zoo s tropical discovery greyface moray eel and dogface puffer fish
The greyface moray, freckled moray, slender moray, or white-eyed moray, Gymnothorax thyrsoideus, is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae.
Contents
- Denver zoo s tropical discovery greyface moray eel and dogface puffer fish
- Description
- Distribution habitat
- Biology
- References
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. 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.
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.
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.