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Abbott's eel (Gymnothorax eurostus) — Muraenidae

Abbott's eel

Gymnothorax eurostus
Family: Muraenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Abbott's eel (Gymnothorax eurostus) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 60 cm.

Length
60 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–74.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
May bite
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The stout moray is a medium-sized moray eel from the Indo-Pacific, including around Hawaii. The species grows to about 60 cm and has a snake-like, scaleless body with a brown, finely mottled pattern. As a nocturnal reef predator it shelters by day in crevices and cavities and hunts small fish and crustaceans at night. It is not aggressive, but can bite with sharp teeth if disturbed. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Abbott's eel?

The Abbott's eel has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a marbled pattern.

Where does the Abbott's eel live?

The Abbott's eel lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Abbott's eel get?

The Abbott's eel grows to a maximum of about 60 cm.

Is the Abbott's eel dangerous to humans?

The Abbott's eel can bite, but is otherwise not dangerous to humans.

Is the Abbott's eel edible?

The Abbott's eel is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Stevige murene verified
English name
Abbott's eel verified
Scientific name
Gymnothorax eurostus
Family
Muraenidae
Other names
Abbott's moray; Abbott's moray eel; Indo-Pacific stout moray; Moray eel verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
60.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Marbled sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
74.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
May bite verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Gymnothorax

More from the family Muraenidae

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