The green moray (Gymnothorax funebris) is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Long Island, New York, Bermuda, and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, at depths down to 40 metres (130 ft). Its length is up to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft). It is the largest moray species of the tropical Atlantic and one of the largest species of moray eel known. Though it is not considered endangered, the species is particularly under-studied and estimated to be undercounted by up to 400% in single-pass visual surveys.[2]
| Green moray | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Muraenidae |
| Genus: | Gymnothorax |
| Species: | G. funebris |
| Binomial name | |
| Gymnothorax funebris Ranzani, 1840 | |
The common name "green moray" is also sometimes used to refer to the yellow moray, G. prasinus.
Its green color comes from a protective layer of mucus secreted by its specialized goblet cells much like other species of moray. Underneath this mucus layer, the green moray eel is a darker color as can be seen in preserved specimens.[3]
Green morays are typically not eaten and can cause ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP).[4]
References
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Gymnothorax funebris" in FishBase. June 2006 version.
External links
- National Aquarium - Green Moray Eel Fact Sheet
- Florida Museum of Natural History - Green Moray Fact Sheet Archived 2016-01-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Photos of Green moray on Sealife Collection