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Chestnut moray (Gymnothorax castaneus) — Muraenidae

Chestnut moray

Gymnothorax castaneus
Family: Muraenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Chestnut moray (Gymnothorax castaneus) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 150 cm.

Length
150 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
3.0–36.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The Panamic green moray is a large moray eel (Muraenidae) from the eastern Pacific. The species has a robust, eel-shaped, scaleless body that looks brown-green to olive, with needle-sharp teeth; the dorsal, caudal and anal fins form a continuous fringe and pelvic and pectoral fins are absent. It inhabits rocky, boulder-strewn areas and walls, where it shelters in holes and crevices by day and hunts fishes and crustaceans in the open at night. The sharp teeth can give a serious bite when handled; otherwise the fish is not aggressive.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Chestnut moray?

The Chestnut moray has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Chestnut moray live?

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

How big does the Chestnut moray get?

The Chestnut moray grows to a maximum of about 150 cm.

Is the Chestnut moray dangerous to humans?

No, the Chestnut moray is harmless to humans.

Is the Chestnut moray edible?

The Chestnut moray is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Panamese groene murene sourced
English name
Chestnut moray verified
Scientific name
Gymnothorax castaneus
Family
Muraenidae
Other names
Panamic green moray verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
150.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
3.0 verified
Max depth (m)
36.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
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
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Gymnothorax

More from the family Muraenidae

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