About Gymnothorax miliaris (Kaup, 1856)
The goldentail moray, Gymnothorax miliaris (Kaup, 1856), is a medium-sized fish. It reaches a maximum length of 70 cm, while individuals most commonly observed average 40 cm in length. It has a serpentine-shaped body with a light or dark brown background color, covered in small yellow spots. The spots are smaller on the head and larger toward the tail. The snout and tail are yellowish, and the inside of its mouth is white. A common color morph of this eel is called the "Banana Eel"; it is mostly yellow with large spots rather than numerous small spots. The goldentail moray is widespread across the western Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Its range extends from Florida and Bermuda down to southeastern Brazil. It has also been reported from central Atlantic islands such as Saint Helena and Ascension, as well as near the African coast at the Cape Verde Islands. It typically inhabits rocky and coral reef slopes, found from the surface down to 35 meters (115.5 feet) depth, with a maximum recorded depth of 60 meters (198 feet).
