Home · Muraenidae · Liver-colored moray eel
Liver-colored moray eel (Gymnothorax hepaticus) — Muraenidae

Liver-colored moray eel

Gymnothorax hepaticus
Family: Muraenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Liver-colored moray eel (Gymnothorax hepaticus) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 100 cm.

Length
100 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–30.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
May bite
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The liver-colored moray is a moray eel from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 100 cm and has a snake-like, scaleless, uniformly liver-brown body. As a nocturnal reef predator it shelters by day in crevices of rocky and coral reefs and hunts small fish and crustaceans at night. It is not aggressive, but can bite hard with sharp teeth if disturbed. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Liver-colored moray eel?

The Liver-colored moray eel has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Liver-colored moray eel live?

The Liver-colored moray eel lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Liver-colored moray eel get?

The Liver-colored moray eel grows to a maximum of about 100 cm.

Is the Liver-colored moray eel dangerous to humans?

The Liver-colored moray eel can bite, but is otherwise not dangerous to humans.

Is the Liver-colored moray eel edible?

The Liver-colored moray eel is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Leverkleurige murene verified
English name
Liver-colored moray eel verified
Scientific name
Gymnothorax hepaticus
Family
Muraenidae

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
100.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Plain 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)
30.0 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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