Common Name: Green Moray
Scientific Name:Gymnothorax funebris
Description:A very large eel, the Green Moray has no scales and instead has a smooth brown body. The Green Moray's body is covered in a yellow mucus that when combined with it's brown skin, gives it a rich green appearance which is the basis for its name. The Green Moray has large sharp teeth - two sets on the top and one on the bottom.
Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Muraenidae
Genus: Gymnothorax
Maximum Size: 250cm
Habitat & Range: Green Morays are found throughout the Eastern Atlantic Ocean in the area between New Jersey, Bermuda, and Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. Green Morays inhabit coral reefs, mangroves, and rocky shorelines to a depth of 100 feet (30 meters).
Diet: Moray eels feed on small fish and crustaceans. They hunt primarily at night.
Lifespan: Not much is known about the lifespan of Green Morays, however it is thought to be between 8 and 30 years. A Green Moray kept in captivity lived to be 85 years old.
Predators: Little is known about the Green Morays predators. It is assumed that they would be threatened by large predators such as sharks but a large adult Green Moray could defend any attacks quite aggressively. Green Morays are taken for human consumption and humans are probably their biggest predator.
Red List Status: Not Evaluated
Sources:
Gymnothorax funebris: Information (2008, July 08) Animal Diversity Web
Gymnothorax funebris (2008, July 08) FishBase