Hawaii's Reef Fishes

Moray Eels (Muraenidae)

Dragon Moray Enchelycore pardalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)

The moray eel family is one of 15 families of true eels. The most obvious feature of eels are the very elongate body; lack of pelvic fins, a very small gill opening, and the caudal fin, if present, is joined with the dorsal and anal fins. Morays lack pectoral fins and scales; they have a large mouth with impressive dentition.

Most species, such as those of the largest genus Gymnothorax, have long fang-like teeth, but some such as the species of Echidna and Gymnomuraena have mainly nodular or molariform teeth.

The species with long canines feed mainly on reef fishes, occasionally on crustaceans and octopuses; those with blunt teeth feed primarily on crustaceans, especially crabs.

Morays occasionally bite divers (the author has been bitten nine times), but usually this is a result of placing one’s hand into a hole or crevice in the reef without knowing that a moray is lurking there. A human hand in a dark hole in the reef might well he mistaken by a moray for an octopus.

Moray’s are tamed at some popular dive sites; they are hand-fed and may be handled; however, divers who do this are sometimes bitten.

Recent research has shown that many morays are hermaphroditic, starting mature life as males and changing sex later to females; a few are synchronous hermaphrodites (male and female at the same time).

Morays may exhibit considerable variation in color pattern, not only with growth but also among individuals the same size. There are 38 species of morays in Hawaii; among shore fishes, only the wrasse family has more species in the islands.

Banded Moray

Giant Moray

Viper Moray

Echelynassa canina (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) Puhi kauila

Dark brown; jaws close only at tips, canine teeth very long; anterior nostrils back from snout tip, with a long fringed posterior flap; posterior nostrils large and oval, well before eyes. Reported to 5 feet (150 cm). Central and western Pacific, and tropical eastern Pacific. The awesome dentition commands respect.

Whitemouth Moray

Gymnothorax meleagris (Shaw & Nodder, 1795) Puhi oni'o

Brown to orangish-brown with numerous dark-edged round white spots; tip of tail white; gill opening in a blackish spot; inside of mouth white. Reaches about 40 inches (1 m). Indo-Pacific and Galapagos Islands. Seen by divers on Hawaiian reefs more often than other morays.

Zebra Moray

Gymnomuraena zebra (Shaw & Nodder, 1797) Puhi

Dark brown to dark orangish brown, encircled by many narrow pale yellowish bars; numerous molariform teeth in jaws and on palate. Reported to 5 feet (150 cm), but any over 4 feet are exceptional. Indo-Pacific and tropical eastern Pacific. Feeds principally on crabs.

All information and pictures in this section are from John E. Randall's Shore Fishes of Hawai'i by permission of the author.