Australia country information

Common names: Bar-cheeked eel, Black-speckled reef-eels, Painted moray
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Known from Western Australia; including the territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Ref. 75154), Northern Territory, and Queensland (Ref. 7300). Also Ref. 37816, 90102.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Hoese, D.F., D.J. Bray, J.R. Paxton and G.R. Allen, 2006
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Peppered moray, Murène poivrée, Painted moray, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Gymnothorax: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, thorax, -akos = breast (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 100 m (Ref. 26165). Tropical; 30°N - 26°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: East Africa (Ref. 26165) to the Galapagos, Cocos, and Clipperton islands; north to the Hawaiian and Ryukyu islands; south to Australia and the Kermadec Islands.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 140 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30573)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0; Vertebrae: 128 - 135. Greyish and speckled with irregular, dark markings (Ref. 3257). Young yellowish with hollow-centered spots which becomes less conspicuous with age (Ref. 3257). Lacks the molariform teeth as well as the depressible vomerine fangs present in most Gymnothorax and have two rows of vomerine teeth (Ref. 37816).

Adults inhabit reef flats and rocky intertidal shorelines. Feed on small fishes and crustaceans, sometimes leaving the water in pursuit of prey (Ref. 9710, 48635). Benthic (Ref. 58302). Simultaneous hermaphroditism is confirmed for this species (Ref. 103751). Caught with various nets (Ref. 30573). Solitary (Ref 90102). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 86942.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Simultaneous hermaphroditism is confirmed (Ref. 103751).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Chen, H.-M., K.-T. Shao and C.T. Chen, 1994. A review of the muraenid eels (Family Muraenidae) from Taiwan with descriptions of twelve new records. Zool. Stud. 33(1):44-64. (Ref. 6934)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 18 August 2011

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 4690)

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
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Food consumptions
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Predators

Ecology
Ecology
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Population dynamics
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Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
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Life cycle
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Distribution
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BRUVS - Videos

Anatomy
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Otoliths

Physiology
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Swimming type
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Visual pigment(s)
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Genetics
Genetics
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Human related
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Aquaculture profiles
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Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.

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Taxonomy
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References
References

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Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 25 - 29.1, mean 28.1 (based on 1736 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00049 (0.00032 - 0.00074), b=3.28 (3.16 - 3.40), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.2 ±0.72 se; based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (84 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Gymnothorax pictus (Ahl, 1789)