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Gymnothorax meleagris (Shaw &. Nodder, 1795)
WHITEMOUTH MORAY
Guineafowl Moray; White-mouth Moray; White-spotted Moray; Muraena meleagris Shaw and Nodder, 1795; Turkey Moray

Life   Vertebrata   Fish   Muraenidae   Gymnothorax

Gymnothorax meleagris
© Copyright Gerald Allen, 2006 · 0
Gymnothorax meleagris

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Overview
Main identification features
  • dark brown, + dense small yellow spots
  • inside mouth white
Dorsal and anal fins covered with skin, but very evident, with origins at or (in dorsal) before anus; front nostril a simple tube; posterior nostril a hole at level of profile of head; lower jaw straight, mouth closes completely; teeth sharp, teeth on front of roof of mouth in a single row; upper jaw teeth in 1-2 rows, outer row canine-like,3 rows of long canines at front between top jaws, canines also at front of bottom jaw; depth 6.7-10% of length; head length 12-14% of total length; tail 40-55% of total length.

Body and fins brown to yellowish-brown with numerous small, dark-bordered white spots, dense on head, becoming sparser at rear; tip of tail white; gill opening in black blotch; inside of mouth white.

Size: 120 cm.

Habitat: rocky and coral reefs.

Depth: 1-45 m.

Indo-Pacific; vagrant at the Galapagos and Cocos.


Attributes
Abundance: Common.
Cites: Not listed.
Climate Zone: Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo).
Depth Range Max: 45 m.
Depth Range Min: 1 m.
Diet: bony fishes; mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs).
Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=6; Southern limit=-2; Western limit=-93; Eastern limit=-87; Latitudinal range=8; Longitudinal range=6.
Egg Type: Pelagic; Pelagic larva.
Feeding Group: Carnivore.
FishBase Habitat: Reef Associated.
Global Endemism: All Pacific (West + Central + East); Indo-Pacific only (Indian + Pacific Oceans); TEP non-endemic; "Transpacific" (East + Central &/or West Pacific); All species.
Habitat: Corals; Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom); Rocks; Reef (rock &/or coral); Reef only.
Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.
IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed.
Length Max: 120 cm.
Regional Endemism: Island (s) only; Island (s); Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic; Eastern Pacific non-endemic; All species.
Residency: Vagrant.
Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.
Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;


Names
Scientific source:

Links to other sites

References
  • Humann, P., 1993., Reef Fish Identification: Galapagos., New World Publishing:192pp.
  • McCosker , J.E. and Humann, P.H., 1996., New records of Galápagos fishes., Charles Darwin Foundation, Noticias de Galápagos., 56:18-26.
  • Shaw , G. and Nodder, F. P., 1813., The Naturalist's Miscellany, or coloured figures of natural objects; drawn and described from nature. London., Naturalist's Misc., :unnumbered pages.

Acknowledgements

I thank Ashley MacDonald and John Pickering, University of Georgia, for technical support in building this page.


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Updated: 2024-03-29 13:57:20 gmt
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