Home · Muraenidae · Viper moray
Viper moray (Enchelynassa canina) — Muraenidae

Viper moray

Enchelynassa canina
Family: Muraenidae

The Viper moray (Enchelynassa canina) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 250 cm.

Length
250 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–30.0 m
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
May bite

Description

The viper moray is a large moray (Muraenidae) from the Indo-Pacific. The species grows to about 2.5 metres and has an elongate, snake-shaped, dark-brown, scaleless body with a strongly curved jaw full of long, needle-sharp, non-closing teeth that give it a viper-like look. As a nocturnal reef predator it hides by day in crevices and seizes fish and octopus at night. It bites very fiercely when disturbed; handle with care.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Viper moray?

The Viper moray has a snake-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Viper moray live?

The Viper moray lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Viper moray get?

The Viper moray grows to a maximum of about 250 cm.

Is the Viper moray dangerous to humans?

The Viper moray can bite, but is otherwise not dangerous to humans.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Adderslang-murene sourced
English name
Viper moray sourced
Scientific name
Enchelynassa canina
Family
Muraenidae
Other names
Longfang moray; Toothy moray; Viper moray verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
250.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
30.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
May bite verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

More from the family Muraenidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →