Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Echidna: Greek, echidna = viper, 1847 (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: In Greek mythology Echidna was a female monster, and mother of many other monsters including the Hydra. Hesiod described her as “half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake, great and awful, with speckled skin.” (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Richardson.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 20 m (Ref. 90102). Tropical; 30°N - 24°S
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa (Ref. 33390) to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 72.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 90102)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0; Vertebrae: 132 - 137. Body grey with fine pale barring (Ref. 48635). Young with 25-30 dark brown bars separated by white narrow interspaces; bars become obscure with age where in large adults, the pattern becomes mottled brown; corner of mouth dark brown. Head usually lighter, yellowish with variable dark blotching (Ref. 48635).
Inhabits reef flats, clear shallow lagoons, and seaward reefs (Ref. 9710). Benthic (Ref. 58302). Feeds mainly on small crustaceans during both day and night (Ref. 9710). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 86942.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
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: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 25.2 - 29.3, mean 28.4 °C (based on 2833 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00050 (0.00032 - 0.00078), b=3.31 (3.19 - 3.43), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.4 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (49 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 37.3 [20.3, 61.5] mg/100g; Iron = 0.477 [0.288, 0.961] mg/100g; Protein = 18.6 [16.4, 21.2] %; Omega3 = 0.0945 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 35.2 [19.9, 70.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 65.2 [18.1, 200.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.08 [0.77, 1.49] mg/100g (wet weight);
