| Family: |
Muraenidae (Moray eels), subfamily: Muraeninae |
| Max. size: |
180 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine |
| Distribution: |
Southwest Pacific: Australia, Norfolk Island and New Zealand (Ref. 8879) incl. Kermadec Is. (Ref. 33839) and questionably Juan Fernández Is. (Ref. 89357). |
| Diagnosis: |
Teeth in jaw roughly 25 in single series, anterior enlarged fang-like and depressible; vomerine teeth small. Mouth large (44% head length) does not fully close, reaching well beyond eyes. Lower jaw slightly prognathous, upper jaw blunt. Eyes small, roughly the same size as branchial opening, and continuous with surrounding skin. Branchial opening slanted posteriorly, below midline. Two branchial pores, three mandibular pores, four suborbital pores, and posterior nasal opening above and in front of eye. Head length roughly 7 times total length; preanal length about equal to tail length, posterior third laterally compressed. |
| Biology: |
A benthic species (Ref. 75154) which occurs inshore (Ref. 7300). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 18 August 2011 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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