Paintspotted Moray, Gymnothorax pictus
Paintspotted Moray, Gymnothorax pictus. Fish caught from within the marina of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, February 2016. Length: 81 cm (2 feet 7 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Kenneth Tse, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Paintspotted Moray, Gymnothorax pictus. Fish caught from within the marina of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, February 2016. Length: 81 cm (2 feet 7 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).
The Paintspotted Moray, Gymnothorax pictus, is a member of the Moray and Snake Eel or Muraenidae Family, also known as the Bar-cheeked Eel, the Paint-spot Moray, and the Peppered Moray and in Mexico as morena pecas pintura. Globally, there are one hundred sixteen members in the genus Gymnothorax, of which eighteen are found in Mexican waters, nine in the Atlantic and nine in the Pacific Ocean.
The Paintspotted Moray has an elongated muscular compressed body that tapers gradually to a rounded tail. They are white and densely covered with small irregular black spots on the head. They have dark spots on the body that are more regularly arranged into large blotches separated by thin pale areas. The juveniles have spots that cluster into large, pale centered blotches arranged in numerous longitudinal rows. Their head is large with small eyes, tube nostrils, and a large mouth equipped with 2 rows of vomerine teeth. Their anal and dorsal fins, which originate above the gill openings, are covered with skin but are clearly evident. The tail is approximately 50% of total length. They do not have pectoral fins, pelvic fins, gill covers or scales. They are covered with thick yellow mucus, which provides them with protection from abrasion.
The Paintspotted Moray is a common inhabitant of shallow rocky and reef areas found within cracks and crevices in the subtidal zone at depths up to 100 m (330 feet). They reach a maximum length of 1.40 m (4 feet 7 inches). They are found as solitary individuals that take shelter during the day backing into crevices within rocky structure with only their head protruding. Their body shape and the lack of fins, scales, or gill covers allow them to move quickly in and out of rocky crevices. They are voracious nocturnal ambush predators with poor eyesight that utilize their keen sense of smell to seek out prey. They consume crabs, fish, octopus, and shrimp. They are known to breach while in pursuit of prey. The Paintspotted Moray is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, possessing both male and female sex organs which allows them to self-fertilize as necessary. Reproduction is viviparous with eggs and sperm broadcast into the water generating pelagic eggs and larvae that can drift in oceanic currents for up to a year before settling out on the bottom. The Paintspotted Moray is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Paintspotted Moray is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific but has an exceedingly limited distribution being found only within the coastal waters of the Revillagigedo Islands.
The Paintspotted Moray, due to its unique coloration, is a straightforward identification. They are very similar to the California Moray, Gymnothorax mordax, found off the west coast of Baja.
From a conservation perspective, the Paintspotted Moray is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are caught commercially with nets in certain parts of their range and utilized for human consumption. They are known to contain ciguatoxin. When encountered they are visually most intimidating but are very timid and not harmful and are only known to bite humans on rare occasions. They are utilized by the aquarium trade but only at a small level. They are known to consume their smaller tank mates and are notorious escape artists.