All fish / Muraenidae

Zebra Moray Eel

Gymnomuraena zebra

Also known as zebra moray, zebra eel, zebra moray eel, banded moray, ปลาไหลมอเรย์ม้าลาย, ゼブラウツボ, belut zebra, morai zebra, 斑马裸海鳝, 斑马鳗

The zebra moray is a thick-bodied eel with a dark brown to black body ringed by many thin white or pale yellow bands. Keepers value it as one of the calmer morays, since it has blunt, pebble-like teeth for crushing shellfish rather than fangs for catching fish. It spends the day tucked into rockwork and comes out to feed, so it suits a large, sturdy reef or fish-only system.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

90 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: crabs, shrimp, mussels, clams, snails and other hard-shelled foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 30 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Hawaii, Japan and the Gulf of California

Breeding

It has not been bred in home aquariums. In the wild it spawns in open water and produces planktonic leptocephalus larvae, which are very hard to rear.

Good to know

It grows long and heavy and will eat crabs, shrimp, snails and clams, so it is unsafe with most invertebrates. Morays are skilled escape artists, so fit a tight lid with every gap sealed.