What is happening to the Moray Eels?

Hintermann · Dec 10, 2014

One of the critters that I like to see, photograph and store pictures of are moray eels. In the past, diving in places like the Maldives & Philippines I have seen several varieties of morays - Green, brown, honeycomb, white-spotted, white-mouth, Fimbriated etc. But in the last 3 years or so I have seen nothing but Green Moray eels both in the Indo-Pacific (including this years trips to Bali, Komodo and Raja Ampat) and the Caribbean. What happened to rest of the species?

My remaining dive trips before hanging-up my fins include Socorro, Bonaire, Bali, Wakatobi, Anilao and Tubbataha. What is the likelihood of seeing different types of moray eels at these destinations?

oszillodrom · Dec 10, 2014

Which species do you consider to be a "Green Moray"? Maybe Gymnothorax javanicus, Gymnothorax flavimarginatus or Gymnothorax fimbriatus?

Steve_C · Dec 10, 2014

Off North Carolina over the last year I saw several that were not greens. But that was as usual. Still seeing some greens off Key Largo.

vincent54 · Dec 10, 2014

I will rarely see any during the day. When it is really late at night, the Brac reefs are crawling with them. I don't see them during the evening dives either.

I have yet to see a Viper Moray, but all the other species in the Caribbean are around Brac. Cheers

Hintermann · Dec 10, 2014

oszillodrom:
Which species do you consider to be a "Green Moray"? Maybe Gymnothorax javanicus, Gymnothorax flavimarginatus or Gymnothorax fimbriatus?

I am no expert but I think the "true" Green Moray eel like the sort we in the Caribbean and Central America is Gymnothorax funebris. I know that Gymnothorax javanicus is the Giant Moray eel of the Indo-Pacific but very few of the specimens we saw in Komodo or Raja Ampat were the brownish-yellow colour. Most were greenish like the funebris. We did not see any yellow-spot at all in the 2 trips and just 2 of the Gymnothorax fimbriatus.

I know it sounds silly, but is there a possibility that the Caribbean Green Morays have migrated (or set loose) in the Indo-Pacific in the same manner as the invasive lionfish are rampaging through Caribbean reefs?

PatW · Dec 10, 2014

This year on trips to Utila and the Caymans, I saw green, spotted, and golden tailed morays. In Utila, I see quite a few morays, but I think the fishing pressure has reduced the grouper population and morays have increased in numbers to fill the niche.

oszillodrom · Dec 10, 2014

Hintermann:
I am no expert but I think the "true" Green Moray eel like the sort we in the Caribbean and Central America is Gymnothorax funebris. I know that Gymnothorax javanicus is the Giant Moray eel of the Indo-Pacific but very few of the specimens we saw in Komodo or Raja Ampat were the brownish-yellow colour. Most were greenish like the funebris. We did not see any yellow-spot at all in the 2 trips and just 2 of the Gymnothorax fimbriatus.

I know it sounds silly, but is there a possibility that the Caribbean Green Morays have migrated (or set loose) in the Indo-Pacific in the same manner as the invasive lionfish are rampaging through Caribbean reefs?

I don't think you are seeing green morays in the Indopacific, but without any photos it's hard to guess which ones you mean.

Lorenzoid · Dec 10, 2014

In Cozumel a couple of years ago we saw the most amazing scene of a large green moray attacking a den of lobsters. It was quite the battle. We watched this during our safety stop but had to end the dive before there was any winner. The lobsters put up a good defense.

scubadada · Dec 10, 2014

I dive frequently in Boynton Beach, FL. It's not unusual to see Green, Spotted, and Goldentail Morays on the same dive.

Hintermann · Dec 10, 2014

oszillodrom:
I don't think you are seeing green morays in the Indopacific, but without any photos it's hard to guess which ones you mean.

Perhaps they were not the true funebris green morays of the Caribbean but a lot of the giant morays that I saw in Raja Ampat had a string greenish hue, like this one. https://flic.kr/p/pYwVwi

I don't have a photo of it but during a strong drift in one of Komodo dives last June, we passed a large moray eel poking at least 2/3 of its body out of a hard coral clump. It was very green.

What is happening to the Moray Eels?

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