All fish / Muraenidae

Laced Moray

Gymnothorax favagineus

Also known as tessellate moray, honeycomb moray, leopard moray, blackspotted moray, giraffe moray, laced moray eel, tessellated moray, アミメウツボ, sidat moray, 豹纹裸胸鳝, 大斑裸胸鳝

A large moray with a pale body covered in a honeycomb network of dark blotches, which makes it one of the most striking eels in the hobby. It is hardy and becomes very tame, often taking food from tongs, so it suits keepers of big predator reef or fish-only systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

150 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: whole fish, squid, prawns and shellfish fed a few times a week

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

20 years or more

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Papua New Guinea and Australia

Breeding

It spawns in open water and has a long drifting leptocephalus larval stage. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

It can grow well over 2 m and will eat any fish or crustacean it can swallow, so it needs a very large, tightly lidded tank with no escape gaps. Its bite is serious, so take care when working in the tank.