Green moray eel
Gymnothorax funebris
Sighting evidence at Blowing Rock, Corn Islands
Photo: Kevin Bryant · CC BY-NC-SA
The green moray eel's vivid colour is actually a yellow mucus coating overlaying a brown base skin — mucus that may contain toxins acting as a defence against bacteria and parasites in the crevice habitats they favour. They are nocturnal hunters that use an extraordinary second set of pharyngeal jaws to grasp and pull prey into the throat, a mechanism unique among fish. At Blowing Rock, morays reach impressive size due to the abundance of reef fish in the surge channels.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Green moray eel is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.