Yellow-edged Moray

The yellow-edged moray, also known as yellow-margin moray, leopard moray, and speckled moray, is a species of moray eel belonging to the family Muraenidae. It can be found in the 🌊 Indo-Pacific Oceans at depths of up to 150 meters.

Moray eels have a distinct appearance with long, slender bodies, bulbous heads, and rounded snouts that gradually taper into tails. Their large mouths contain a single row of small pointed teeth on the lower jaw and several vomerine teeth on the roof of the mouth. The dorsal fin extends from behind the head and runs along the back, continuing as the caudal and anal fins. The yellow-edged moray can reach a maximum length of approximately 240 cm (90 in), although a typical length is around 80 cm (30 in). Its coloration is mostly a dull yellow with a mottled pattern of dark brown or black covering most of its body. The head is purplish-grey, and there is a prominent black blotch at the operculum. The fins on the posterior part of the body have yellowish or greenish margins. Young yellow-edged morays may exhibit a brighter yellow background color with brown blotches.

The yellow-edged moray is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from East Africa and the 🌊 Red Sea to 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇦🇺 Australia, the Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, 🇳🇨 New Caledonia (🇫🇷 Overseas France), and 🇨🇷 Costa Rica. It typically resides in coral or rocky areas of reef flats and the protected sides of seaward reefs, with a depth range of up to 150 meters (500 ft).

This species of moray eel is primarily a solitary fish, often seeking shelter in crevices or resting submerged in sediment with only its head exposed. It occasionally shares its shelter with individuals of the same species or other moray eel species. The yellow-edged moray is predominantly active during the night, but can also be seen swimming freely in the morning and evening. Its diet consists of fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. These moray eels are attracted to injured or stressed fish, quickly appearing around reefs where fish have been speared. In the 🌊 Red Sea, the yellow-edged moray has been identified as a natural predator of the lionfish species Pterois miles. There have also been observations of a cleaning symbiosis between the yellow-edged moray and the shrimp-like crustacean Stenopus pyrsonotus, suggesting a mutually beneficial relationship.