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Brown snake moray (Uropterygius fuscoguttatus) — Muraenidae

Brown snake moray

Uropterygius fuscoguttatus
Family: Muraenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Brown snake moray (Uropterygius fuscoguttatus) is a saltwater fish of the family Muraenidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–25.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The brown-spotted snake moray is a small moray from the Indo-Pacific, ranging from the Maldives to the Pitcairn group, north to Hawaii. The species grows to about 30 cm and has a thin, snake-like body that is uniformly brown anteriorly and becomes covered with dark brown spots towards the tail. It lives hidden among rubble, algae and invertebrates of lagoon and outer reefs to about 25 metres depth. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Brown snake moray?

The Brown snake moray has a snake-like body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Brown snake moray live?

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

How big does the Brown snake moray get?

The Brown snake moray grows to a maximum of about 30 cm.

Is the Brown snake moray dangerous to humans?

No, the Brown snake moray is harmless to humans.

Is the Brown snake moray edible?

The Brown snake moray is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bruingevlekte slangmurene verified
English name
Brown snake moray verified
Scientific name
Uropterygius fuscoguttatus
Family
Muraenidae
Other names
Brown spotted snake moray; Brownspotted snake moray; Brown-spotted snake moray; Finless moray verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded 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)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
25.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Not 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
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Uropterygius

More from the family Muraenidae

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