Giant moray

Giant moray

Giant moray
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Anguilliformes
Family:	Muraenidae
Genus:	Gymnothorax
Species:	G. javanicus
Binomial name
Gymnothorax javanicus (Bleeker, 1859)

The giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus) is a species of moray eel found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific. In terms of body mass, it is the largest moray eel (the slender giant moray is longer).^[1]

Range and habitat

The giant moray is widespread in the Indo-Pacific region, being found in the Red Sea and East Africa, the Pitcairn group, north to the Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, south to New Caledonia, Fiji and the Austral Islands.^[1][2] It is found in lagoons and seaward reefs.^[2]

Description

Prague sea aquarium

As the name suggests, this is a large eel, reaching up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in length and 30 kg (66 lb) in weight. While juveniles are tan in colour with large black spots, adults have black specks that grade into leopard-like spots behind the head and a black area surrounding the gill opening.^[2]

Diet

The giant moray mainly feeds on fish and crustaceans.^[2] It has been known to engages in cooperative hunting with the roving coralgrouper (Plectropomus pessuliferus).^[3]

Hazards

This species may be hazardous to people in two ways:

• Being at the top of the food chain it is likely to cause ciguatera poisoning if eaten.^[1][2]
• It has been implicated in provoked and unprovoked attacks on scuba divers.^[1][2][4]