What type of Moray

[CA Diver]

I would appreciate any assistance in determining the type of Moray eel pictured here. The photo was taken in Bonaire at the Plaza Resort Reef (18 Palms)

Thanks.

 

[archman]

Oh, what a lovely animal. Morays avoid me like the plague, or I just suck at spotting them.

According to the book, your critter looks the most like a goldentail moray with it's speckle pattern reversed. But I'm no muraenid expert, by any stretch.

 

[MoonWrasse]

I love eels, I spend too much time and probably get too close to them

I did a quick fix on your photo to reduce the green somewhat:


I'm not familiar with this one, where'd you find him?

Here's a goldentail:
http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/eels/goldentailmoray/

 

[Tom Smedley]

My guess would be a Gymnothorax miliaris (Goldentail Moray) that would be my guess.

 

[Walter]

How big is it?

 

[CA Diver]

The eel was in about 20' or less FSW off the Plaza Resort Bonaire in some dead elkhorn coral rubble, there were intermittent patches of different types of live coral in the area. The eel would move from one patch to the other using gaps in the dead coral as cover. As I recall it was about the size of a Goldentail Moray.

Thanks MoonWrasse, I have not photoshopped the photos from that dive yet. I wanted to verify the fish ID. I did find a website that showed the Goldentail Moray (which was my best guess) in the reverse colors, but the dark areas looked more like spots than the lines on this eel.

Thanks for the help.

 

[herman]

I with Tom, Goldentail moray. Per the Reef Fish ID book, the color can be reversed, yellow backround with brown spots or netting which is what this one appears to be.

 

[sea_dragon]

i believe that is a goldentail moray aka gymnothorax miliaris... i looked it up in the reef fish id book....