Turkey Moray Eel (Gymnothorax meleagris)

The turkey moray, Gymnothorax meleagris, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the Indo-Pacific oceans from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Marquesas and Mangar??va, north to the Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, south to Lord Howe Island, at depths down to 36 m. Its length is up to 1.2 m.

The turkey moray occurs in coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs. It prefers very shallow depth and juveniles are often in intertidal zones. It is often seen hunting during low tide among partly exposed reefs. It feeds mainly on fishes and crustaceans, by day and probably also at night. Ciguatera poisoning has been reported.

Coloration is dark skin with small white spots, contrasting with white inside the mouth.


Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra)

The zebra moray, Gymnomuraena zebra, is a species of saltwater eels, the only member of the genus Gymnomuraena of the Muraenidae (Moray eel) family. It is found in the Indo-Pacific oceans from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Society Islands, north to the Ryukyu and Hawaiian Islands, south to the Great Barrier Reef, in the eastern Central Pacific from southern Baja California, Mexico and from Guatemala to northern Colombia, including the Galapagos Islands. Its length is up to 1.5 m

The zebra moray has close-set pebble-like teeth used for crushing hard-shelled prey, and a rounded snout. It is a secretive inhabitant of sandy and rocky bottoms, crevices and ledges of seaward reefs. It feeds primarily on xanthid crabs, but also on other crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins.

Coloration includes close-set narrow dark bands, giving rise to its common name.