Gymnothorax saxicola

Gymnothorax saxicola
Honeycomb Moray – Gymnothorax saxicola
FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
MuraenidaeGymnothorax saxicolaJordan and Davis1891Honeycomb Moray

All Gymnothorax — Dorsal fin beginning above and near to dorsal-fin origin well-before anus (usually on head). Anal fin beginning just behind anus. Dorsal fin beginning above and before anus. Posterior nostril flush or nearly so with head profile; gill opening with body coloration.

Gymnothorax saxicola

Unique Characters: Teeth not numerous, some long canines; intermaxillary teeth 3 rows across, maxillary teeth in 1 row (few inner teeth in young). Snout blunt, jaws short. Teeth wedge-shaped and serrate, no long canines. Three pores along upper jaw. Head and body spotted dorsally, pale and unspotted ventrally; tail spotted or patterned, not noticeably dark. Dorsal fin with black and white pattern. Anal fin without pattern but with dark edge. Body with pale polygonal spots separated by narrow reticulations.

Similar Species:

Lichen Moray
Gymnothorax hubbsi

Blacktail Moray
Gymnothorax kolpos

Lichen Moray Gymnothorax hubbsi. Teeth not numerous, some long canines; intermaxillary teeth 3 rows across, maxillary teeth in 1 row (few inner teeth in young). Snout blunt, jaws short. Teeth wedge-shaped and serrate, no long canines. Four pores along upper jaw.

Blacktail Moray Gymnothorax kolpos. Teeth not numerous, some long canines; intermaxillary teeth 3 rows across, maxillary teeth in 1 row (few inner teeth in young). Snout blunt, jaws short. Teeth wedge-shaped and serrate, no long canines. Three pores along upper jaw. Head and body spotted dorsally and ventrally; tail dark, with few large white spots. Dorsal fin with dark margin, with body coloration basally.

Saddled Moray Gymnothorax conspersus

Blackedge Moray Gymnothorax nigromarginatus

Ocellated Moray Gymnothorax ocellatus

Saddled Moray Gymnothorax conspersus. Teeth not numerous, some long canines; intermaxillary teeth 3 rows across, maxillary teeth in 1 row (few inner teeth in young). Snout blunt, jaws short. Teeth wedge-shaped and serrate, no long canines. Three pores along upper jaw. Head and body spotted dorsally and ventrally; tail dark, with few large white spots. Dorsal fin with bold pattern of white saddle marks on black fin.

Blackedge Moray Gymnothorax nigromarginatus. Teeth not numerous, some long canines; intermaxillary teeth 3 rows across, maxillary teeth in 1 row (few inner teeth in young). Snout blunt, jaws short. Teeth wedge-shaped and serrate, no long canines. Three pores along upper jaw. Head and body spotted dorsally, pale and unspotted ventrally; tail spotted or patterned, not noticeably dark. Dorsal and anal fins with body coloration and dark margins.

Ocellated Moray Gymnothorax ocellatus. Teeth not numerous, some long canines; intermaxillary teeth 3 rows across, maxillary teeth in 1 row (few inner teeth in young). Snout blunt, jaws short. Teeth wedge-shaped and serrate, no long canines. Three pores along upper jaw. Head and body spotted dorsally, pale and unspotted ventrally; tail spotted or patterned, not noticeably dark. Dorsal fin with black and white pattern. Anal fin with alternating dark and pale areas. Body with distinct well-separated pale spots.

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