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Gymnothorax flavimarginatus (Rüppell, 1830)
YELLOWMARGIN MORAY
Leopard Eel; Yellow Margin Moray; Yellow-edged Moray; Muraena flavimarginata Rüppell, 1830; Yellow-margin moray

Life   Vertebrata   Fish   Muraenidae   Gymnothorax



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

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Gymnothorax flavimarginatus
© Copyright Photographer/SFTEP, 2002 · 0
Gymnothorax flavimarginatus

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Overview
Main identification features
  • yellow + dense brown mottling
  • gill opening in black patch
Yellowmargin moray, Yellow-edged moray

Dorsal and anal fins covered with skin, but clearly evident; dorsal fin origin above level of gill opening; rear nostril not tubular, at most a raised rim; a single row of teeth at front of upper jaw; a pair of canines at front of lower jaw; teeth on side of jaws in a single row.

Yellowish, densely mottled with dark brown; a prominent black blotch covering gill opening; juveniles dark brown with yellow-green margin on dorsal and anal fins.

Size: reaches 124 cm.

Habitat: rocky bottoms.

Depth: 1-45 m.

Widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the Americas; in the eastern Pacific it occurs at the tip of Baja California and Costa Rica and Panama, and all the offshore islands.


Attributes

Abundance: Common.

Cites: Not listed.

Climate Zone: Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos); Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo); Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap).

Depth Range Max: 45 m.

Depth Range Min: 1 m.

Diet: bony fishes; mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs); octopus/squid/cuttlefish.

Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=24; Southern limit=-2; Western limit=-115; Eastern limit=-78; Latitudinal range=26; Longitudinal range=37.

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: 124 cm.

Regional Endemism: Island (s); Continent; Continent + Island (s); Eastern Pacific non-endemic; Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic; All species.

Residency: Resident.

Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.

Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;

Names
Scientific source:
Links to other sites


References
  • Allen , G.R. and Robertson, D.R., 1997., An Annotated Checklist of the fishes of Clipperton Atoll, Tropical Eastern Pacific., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 45:813-843.
  • Castro-Aguirre, J.L. and Balart, E.F., 2002., La ictiofauna de las islas Revillagigedos y sus relaciones zoogeograficas, con comentarios acerca de su origen y evolucion. En: Lozano-Vilano, M. L. (Ed.). Libro Jubilar en Honor al Dr. Salvador Contreras Balderas., Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León:153-170.
  • Fischer , W. , Krup , F. , Schneider , W. , Sommer , C. , Carpenter , K. E. and Niem, V. H., 1995., Guia FAO para la Identificacion de Especies de para los fines de la Pesca. Pacifico Centro-Oriental. Volumen III. Vertebrados - Parte 2., FAO3:1201-1813.
  • Lopez , M. I. and Bussing, W. A., 1982., Lista provisional de los peces marinos de la Costa Rica., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 30(1):5-26.
  • McCosker , J.E. and Rosenblatt, R.H., 1975., Fishes collected at Malpelo Island. In Graham, J.B. (ed.) The Biological Investigation of Malpelo Island, Colombia., Smithsonian Contrib. Zool., 176:91-93.
  • Robertson , D.R. and Allen, G.A., 1996., Zoogeography of the shorefish fauna of Clipperton Atoll., Coral Reefs, 15:121-131.
  • Rosenblatt , R.H. , McCosker , J.E. and Rubinoff, I., 1972., Indo-west Pacific fishes from the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama., Contrib. Sci. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles Co., 234:18pp.
  • Rüppell, W. P. E. S., 1830., Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Africa. Fische des Rothen Meeres. Frankfurt-am-Main., Fische des Rothen Meeres, :1-141.


Acknowledgements

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


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