All fish / Muraenidae

Green Moray Eel

Gymnothorax funebris

Also known as green moray, green moray eel, atlantic green moray, no, グリーンモレイ, 绿裸胸鳝, 绿海鳗

This is a large, heavy-bodied moray. Its skin is brown, and the yellowish mucus covering it makes the fish look green. It is kept by public aquaria and a few dedicated keepers with very large systems who want a striking, interactive predator.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

180 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

2000 litres

Keep as

Keep one on its own

Diet

Carnivore: whole fish, squid, shrimp and other seafood

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

Over 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: New Jersey and Bermuda south through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to Brazil

Breeding

It scatters eggs in open water and has drifting leptocephalus larvae. It has not been bred in home aquaria.

Good to know

Adults can reach about 2.5 m and will eat any fish or invertebrate that fits in their mouth. Their bite is serious, so they are suitable only for huge, tightly lidded tanks. Juveniles sold as small eels quickly outgrow ordinary aquaria.