Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Gymnothorax: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, thorax, -akos = breast (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Alf Johnson of Port Elizabeth, South Africa supplied Smith with “…many rare and valuable specimens”. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Smith.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 20 - 400 m (Ref. 100719). Subtropical
Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea south to Algoa Bay, South Africa.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 130 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5503)
Vertebrae: 135 - 137. Pale brown with irregular, light spots anteriorly, larger and more rounded on tail and in young. Corner of mouth and gill opening dusky.
Inhabits crevices (Ref. 5503). Minimum depth based of 20m (Ref. 81209).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Randall, J.E. and D. Golani, 1995. Review of the moray eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) of the Red Sea. Bull. Mar. Sci. 56(3):849-880. (Ref. 10713)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00048 (0.00025 - 0.00091), b=3.28 (3.12 - 3.44), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.2 ±0.7 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (78 of 100).