Slender giant moray
📖 Overview
Inhabits muddy ocean bottoms and estuarine areas , but sometimes found in rivers and inner bays . Feeds mainly on a variety of small fishes and crustaceans. Known to extend itself vertically from a burrow with its head held horizontally beneath the surface, rising and falling with the tide . Marketed fresh and consumed locally . Solitary (Ref 90102).
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Vertebrae: 183 - 196. Brownish grey above, lighter below . Body moderately elongate, cylindrical in front, compressed along tail; eyes small; teeth small, biserial, inner series enlarged; head not obviously distinct from trunk although the profile is moderately steep; very large mouth, extending to well beyond eye; biserial sharp teeth on jaws, larger in front and in inner row; dorsal fin inserted on head before gill-opening; scales absent .: eel-like.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Slender giant moray is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated; dH range: 15 - 30; amphidromous ; depth range 0 - 15 m . Tropical; 23°C - 28°C ; 30°N - 23°S West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the western Pacific.
🌿 Ecology
a variety of small fishes and crustaceans
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
⚠️ Venom Profile
- immediate intense pain
- swelling
- erythema
- occasional nausea and weakness
Analgesia; wound care; tetanus prophylaxis; severe cases may require monitoring for systemic effects.
References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Gangetic Moray · Giant Estuarine Moray · giant slender moray · Long-tailed Eel · Longtail moray · Marbled Moray · slender giant moray · Tide Guage Eel |
| 🌍CES | muréna ganžská |
| 🇩🇪German | Riesen-Deltamuräne |
| 🇫🇷French | Murène à longue queue · Murène fil géante |
| 🌍HEB | ניבן נפיל |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Murena coda lunga gigante |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | Onagautsubo · オナガウツボ · タケウツボ |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Moréia-dragão-indiana |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Стофидон-уи · Хвостатый эвенхелис |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Morena esbelta gigante · Morenilla Gigante |
| 🌍TGL | Malibanos · Payangitan |
| 🌍THA | ปลาหลดหินยักษ์เรียว |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 長鯙 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evenchelys macrurus | Bleeker | 1854 | Synonym |
| Gymnothorax sathete | Hamilton | 1822 | Synonym |
| Lycodontis longicaudata | McClelland | 1844 | Synonym |
| Lycodontis sathete | Hamilton | 1822 | Synonym |
| Muraena macrurus | Bleeker | 1854 | Synonym |
| Muraena sathete | Hamilton | 1822 | Synonym |
| Muraenophis sathete | Hamilton | 1822 | Synonym |
| Strophidon ui | Tanaka | 1918 | Synonym |
| Thyrosidea macrura | Bleeker | 1854 | Synonym |
| Thyrsoidea longissima | Kaup | 1856 | Synonym |
| Thyrsoidea macrura | Bleeker | 1854 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 7 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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