Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Uropterygiinae
Etymology: Uropterygius: Greek, oura = tail + Greek pterygion = little wing. Fin (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 8 - 18 m (Ref. 35990). Tropical
Western Indian Ocean: Chagos Islands (Ref. 27307). Pacific Ocean: Moluccas, Marshalls, Gilberts, Tonga, Pitcairn, Oeno, and Hawaiian Islands. Record from Johnston Island in Randall et al. (1985) (Ref. 11013) based on a specimen of Uropterygius xenodontus (Ref. 35990).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 19.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 37816)
Vertebrae: 113 - 133. Uniform faded tan, ventral head and tail tip paler. Anterior eye with brown border. Lacking vomerine teeth. MVF 116-117-124.
Found in reefs and crevices of shallow lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 37816, 58302). Benthic (Ref. 58302).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Böhlke, E.B. and J.E. Randall, 2000. A review of the moray eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) of the Hawaiian Islands, with descriptions of two new species. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 150:203-278. (Ref. 35990)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of potential interest
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 24.7 - 29.3, mean 28.1 °C (based on 1647 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00069 (0.00033 - 0.00146), b=3.12 (2.93 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).