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Snyder's moray (Anarchias leucurus) — Muraenidae

Snyder's moray

Anarchias leucurus
Family: Muraenidae

The Snyder's moray (Anarchias leucurus) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 12 cm.

Length
11.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–51.0 m
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
May bite
Range
Oceania: Marquesas Is., Guam, Johnston I., Hawaii

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Description

The Snyder's moray is a moray (Muraenidae) from reef and rocky water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 20 cm and has a slender, eel-like, scaleless body without pectoral fins and a mouth with sharp teeth; the skin is often finely spotted or marbled. As a nocturnal predator it shelters by day with only its head out of a crevice and hunts small fish and crustaceans at night. It does not attack people, but can bite fiercely when threatened or handled.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Snyder's moray?

The Snyder's moray has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern. Can bite with sharp teeth or powerful jaws; handle with care.

Where does the Snyder's moray live?

The Snyder's moray lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground. Oceania: Marquesas Is., Guam, Johnston I., Hawaii

How big does the Snyder's moray get?

The Snyder's moray grows to a maximum of about 12 cm.

Is the Snyder's moray dangerous to humans?

The Snyder's moray can bite, but is otherwise not dangerous to humans. For a bite: rinse the wound thoroughly with clean water, stop the bleeding with pressure and cover with a sterile dressing. A moray bite is ragged and easily becomes infected; clean it carefully and for a deep or extensive wound see a doctor and check tetanus protection.

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All data

Identification

English name
Snyder's moray sourced
Scientific name
Anarchias leucurus
Family
Muraenidae
Other names
Fine-spotted moray; Snyder's moray; Finespot moray verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
11.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
51.0 verified
Natural range
Oceania: Marquesas Is., Guam, Johnston I., Hawaii sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred
Special features
Can bite with sharp teeth or powerful jaws; handle with care. inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Small in size and barely an angling target; mostly caught incidentally or as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
May bite verified
First aid
For a bite: rinse the wound thoroughly with clean water, stop the bleeding with pressure and cover with a sterile dressing. A moray bite is ragged and easily becomes infected; clean it carefully and for a deep or extensive wound see a doctor and check tetanus protection. sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Anarchias

More from the family Muraenidae

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