About Gymnothorax moringa (Cuvier, 1829)
Gymnothorax moringa, commonly called the spotted moray, is a medium to large species of moray eel. It has a number of other common names: conger, spotted eel, red moray, speckled moray, white cong, white jawed moray, white-chinned moray, and white-jawed moray eel. This eel has a long, snake-like body that is generally white or pale yellow, covered in small overlapping spots ranging from reddish brown to dark-brown. Most mature individuals reach around 60 cm (24 in) in length, though the species can grow up to 2 m (6.6 ft) and weigh up to 2.51 kg (5.5 lb). Spotted morays live in the Western Atlantic Ocean, ranging from North Carolina and Bermuda down to Brazil, and including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. They are also found around Mid- and Eastern Atlantic islands, as far south as St Helena. They can occupy habitats from the ocean surface down to a depth of 200 m (660 ft). This species is solitary, and typically hides in narrow crevices and holes within reef structures, with only their heads visible outside. They are active during the day, and feed on crustaceans, molluscs, and fish at or near the sea bottom. Their bite is dangerous to humans: damage comes both from the pull-back effect of the bite itself, and from potential toxins that can enter the wound. There is a minor commercial fishery for this species, and it is also kept in aquariums until it grows too large for this to be practical.
