All fish / Muraenidae

Goldentail Moray

Gymnothorax miliaris

Also known as goldentail moray eel, golden tail moray, gold tail moray, goldtail moray, golden-tailed moray, ゴールデンテールモレイ, 金尾裸胸鳝, 金尾海鳗

A fairly small moray with a dark brown body covered in small yellow or gold spots and a yellow-tipped tail. It stays smaller than most morays, so it is one of the more manageable eels for a fish-only or rocky marine set-up, and it is hardy once it is feeding.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

55 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: chopped fish, squid, shrimp and other meaty seafood, fed a few times a week

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Florida, Caribbean to Brazil; also mid-Atlantic islands

Breeding

It scatters eggs that drift in open water, and the larvae spend a long time in the plankton. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

It will eat small fish, shrimps and crabs, and it escapes through tiny gaps, so use a tight-fitting lid. Build rockwork that cannot collapse and use tongs when feeding, as a bite can be painful.