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Species Details

Details of Giant moray will be displayed below

Giant moray   

Common Name: Giant moray
Scientific Name: Gymnothorax javanicus
Local Name: Kalhu venn
Dhivehi Name: ކަޅުވެން
Animalia  (Kingdom)
Chordata  (Plylum)
Actinopterygii  (Class)
Anguilliformes  (Order)
Muraenidae  (Family)
Gymnothorax   (Genus)

Giant moray's description

As the name suggests, it is a large eel, reaching up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in length and 30 kg (66 lb) in weight. Its serpentine in shape body has a brownish background color. While juveniles are tan in color with large black spots, adults have black specks that grade into leopard-like spots behind the head and a black area surrounding the gill opening.

Giant moray's Behavior & Ecology

Found in lagoon and seaward reefs. Commonly seen species along deep drop-offs and slopes in Indonesian waters. Benthic. Juveniles more secretive and occur on intertidal reef flats. It feeds primarily on fishes and occasionally on crustaceans. This is the largest Indo-Pacific moray eel, perhaps reaching 3 m in length. Because of its position at the top of the reef's food chain it is often ciguatoxic. Attacks humans when provoked.

Giant moray's Feeding

The giant moray is carnivorous, it leaves its lair at night to actively hunt its prey along the reef. It mainly feeds on fish and occasionally on crustaceans. It is known to engage in cooperative hunting with the roving coralgrouper (Plectropomus pessuliferus).

Giant moray's Reproduction

Observations on prespawning behavior include a pair entwined around one another lying on the bottom of the reef area.

Giant moray's Relationship with Humans

This species may be hazardous to people. Being at the top of the food chain, it is likely to cause ciguatera poisoning if eaten. It has been implicated in provoked and unprovoked attacks on scuba divers.

Giant moray habitat

This species is found in lagoon and seaward reefs and commonly seen along deep drop-offs and slopes in Indonesian waters (Kuiter and Tonozuka 2001). Juveniles are more secretive and occur on intertidal reef flats (Myers 1999). It feeds primarily on fishes and occasionally on crustaceans. This is the largest Indo-Pacific moray eel (Kuiter 1998), perhaps reaching 3 m in length. Because of its position at the top of the reef's food chain it is often ciguatoxic.

Giant moray threats

There are no major threats known to affect this species.

Giant moray's status

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