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Brown reef eel (Gymnothorax prasinus) — Muraenidae

Brown reef eel

Gymnothorax prasinus
Family: Muraenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Brown reef eel (Gymnothorax prasinus) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 92 cm.

Length
91.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0–40.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
May bite
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The yellow moray is a moray eel from the southwest Pacific, around Australia and New Zealand. The species grows to about 92 cm and has a snake-like, scaleless body with a yellow-green to brown-green colour. As a nocturnal reef predator it shelters by day in crevices of rocky reefs and tidal pools and hunts small fish and crustaceans. 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 Brown reef eel?

The Brown reef eel has a snake-like body, is mainly green and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Brown reef eel live?

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

How big does the Brown reef eel get?

The Brown reef eel grows to a maximum of about 92 cm.

Is the Brown reef eel dangerous to humans?

The Brown reef eel can bite, but is otherwise not dangerous to humans.

Is the Brown reef eel edible?

The Brown reef eel is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Groene rifmurene verified
English name
Brown reef eel verified
Scientific name
Gymnothorax prasinus
Family
Muraenidae
Other names
Green eel; Green moray; Green reef eel; Pettifogger; Southern green moray verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
91.5 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Green inferred
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
Max depth (m)
40.0 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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