About Gymnothorax flavimarginatus (Rüppell, 1830)
Moray eels are long, slender fish with bulbous heads, rounded snouts, and gradually tapering tails. Their large mouth holds a single row of small, pointed teeth on the lower jaw, plus several vomerine teeth on the roof of the mouth. The dorsal fin runs continuously from just behind the head along the back, wrapping around the tail and continuing as the caudal and anal fins. The yellow-edged moray, Gymnothorax flavimarginatus, can reach a maximum total length of around 240 cm (90 in), though individuals more commonly grow to 80 cm (30 in). Its base body color is a dull yellow, with a mottled pattern of dark brown or black covering most of its surface. The head is purplish-grey, and a large black blotch marks the operculum. The margins of the fins on the rear portion of the body are yellowish or greenish. Juvenile yellow-edged morays often have a brighter yellow background color marked with brown blotches. This species is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Its range stretches from East Africa and the Red Sea eastward to Japan, Indonesia, Australia, the Ryukyu Islands, the Hawaiian Islands, and New Caledonia, and extends east to Costa Rica, Panama, and the Galápagos Islands. It typically inhabits coral or rocky areas on reef flats and the protected sides of seaward reefs, and can be found down to depths of about 150 m (500 ft). The yellow-edged moray is usually a solitary fish, that hides in crevices or is partially submerged in sediment with only its head exposed. It sometimes shares its shelter with other members of its own species or other moray eel species. It is primarily nocturnal, but also swims freely during the morning and evening. Its diet includes fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Yellow-edged morays quickly arrive at the site of speared fish on reefs, as they are sensitive to stimuli from injured or stressed fish. This species has recently been identified as a natural predator of the lionfish Pterois miles in the lionfish’s native Red Sea habitat. The shrimp-like crustacean Stenopus pyrsonotus is often found in close proximity to yellow-edged moray eels, which suggests the shrimp may form a cleaning symbiosis with the eel.
