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Brown moray (Gymnothorax monochrous) — Muraenidae

Brown moray

Gymnothorax monochrous
Family: Muraenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Brown moray (Gymnothorax monochrous) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 80 cm.

Length
80 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–20.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
May bite
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The drab moray is a moray eel from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 80 cm and has a snake-like, scaleless, uniformly brown body without conspicuous markings. As a nocturnal reef predator it shelters by day in crevices and cavities of rocky and coral reefs and hunts small fish, crustaceans and squid at night. It can bite hard with sharp teeth if disturbed. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Brown moray?

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

Where does the Brown moray live?

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

How big does the Brown moray get?

The Brown moray grows to a maximum of about 80 cm.

Is the Brown moray dangerous to humans?

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

Is the Brown moray edible?

The Brown moray is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Effen bruine murene verified
English name
Brown moray verified
Scientific name
Gymnothorax monochrous
Family
Muraenidae
Other names
Drab moray; Monochrome moray; Monotone moray verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
80.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

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

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
May bite verified

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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