Spotted Moray Eel

Similar to the Green Moray, the Spotted Moray is much smaller

The spotted moray eel is a true eel (Anguilliform) and a close relative to the green moray.  This eel is characterized by a white to yellow body covered in dark blotches.  Like the green moray eel, their dorsal and anal fins are fused together to form a single continuous fin that starts behind the head and ends midway down the belly.  Additionally, they have a protective mucus coat around their bodies.  The spotted moray eel is much smaller than the green moray, only reaching an average length of one and a half to three feet.

The spotted moray's scientific name is Gymnothorax moringa, and like all eels, they belong to the class Ostiecthyes, or bony fishes.  The range of the spotted moray stretches from the coast of North Carolina, through the Caribbean, along the Gulf of Mexico, and down to Brazil.  This eel is commonly found sticking out of nearshore or offshore reef holes or underneath rockpiles.  Unlike the solely nocturnal green moray, the spotted moray forages throughout the day and night.  Its diet consists of mostly small crustaceans and reef fish.  Like the green moray, divers are often threatened by these creatures since they continuously open and close their mouths.  This is not a sign of aggression, but rather a behavior for moving water over their gills.

References: Humann, Paul, and Ned DeLoach. Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. Jacksonville, FL: New World Publications, 2002. 424-425. Print.