Gymnothorax ocellatus
Ocellated Moray
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Anguilliformes (True Eels)
Muraenidae (Morays)
Gymnothorax
Gymnothorax ocellatus (Ocellated Moray)
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: eel-like. Regularly spaced blackish spots on dorsal fin; anal fin with a series of black and white areas; gill opening roundish and located on midside of body; corner of mouth and gill-opening not black (Ref. 13608).
Distribution
Western Atlantic: Greater Antilles, including the Central American coast from Nicaragua to northern coast of South America.
Habitat Associations
Brackish, marine. reef-associated. depth range 1-160 m. Found in: estuaries, mangroves.
Biology
A solitary species (Ref. 26340) commonly found on deep soft bottom areas and banks, rarely on coral reefs (Ref. 9710). Also in estuaries and lagoons (Ref. 42064). Feeds mainly on crustaceans (Ref. 42064). Probably consumed fresh or salted (Ref. 3255).
Max length: 90.0 cm TL; common length: 40.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Reproduction probably similar to Gymnothorax funebris (Ref. 42064).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-08-18. Resilience: Low (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Böhlke, J.E. (1978) Muraenidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. West Atlantic (Fishing Area 31), Vol. 3, var. pag. FAO, Rome.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Claro, R. (1994) Características generales de la ictiofauna. p. 55-70. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.
Carvalho-Filho, A. (1999) Peixes: costa Brasileira. 3rd ed. Melro, São Paulo. 320 p.
Bernardes, R.Á., J.L. de Figueiredo, A.R. Rodrigues, L.G. Fischer, C.M. Vooren, M. Haimovici and C.L.D.B. Rossi-Wongtschowski (2005) Peixes de zona econômica exclusiva da região sudeste-sul do Brasil: Levantamento com armadilhas, pargueiras e rede de arrasto de fundo. São Paulo: Editora da Universidade de São Paulo. 295 p.
Comments On Gymnothorax ocellatus