Gymnothorax Explained

Gymnothorax is a genus of fish in the family Muraenidae found in Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. With more than 120 species, it the most speciose genus of moray eels.

notes that Gymnothorax as currently recognized is polyphyletic, but cautioned that comparative studies are needed before action is taken to resurrect generic synonyms of Gymnothorax.^[1]

Species

Both FishBase and World Register of Marine Species recognize a total of 128 valid species in the genus.^[2] However, each database includes three species that the other does not list, which are noted in the list below.

• Gymnothorax afer Bloch, 1795 (Dark moray)
• Gymnothorax albimarginatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) (White-margin moray)
• Gymnothorax andamanensis ^[3]
• Gymnothorax angusticauda (M. C. W. Weber & de Beaufort, 1916) (Narrow-tail moray)
• Gymnothorax angusticeps (Hildebrand & F. O. Barton, 1949)
• Gymnothorax annasona Whitley, 1937 (Lord Howe Island moray)
• Gymnothorax annulatus D. G. Smith & E. B. Böhlke, 1997 (Ringed moray)
• Gymnothorax atolli (Pietschmann, 1935) (Atoll moray)
• Gymnothorax aurocephalus Nashad, Mohapatra, Varghese & Bineesh, 2020 (Goldenhead moray)^[4]
• Gymnothorax australicola Lavenberg, 1992 (South Pacific moray)
• Gymnothorax austrinus E. B. Böhlke & McCosker, 2001 (Southern moray)
• Gymnothorax bacalladoi E. B. Böhlke & Brito, 1987 (Canary moray)
• Gymnothorax baranesi D. G. Smith, Brokovich & Einbinder, 2008
• Gymnothorax bathyphilus J. E. Randall & McCosker, 1975 (Deep-dwelling moray)
• Gymnothorax berndti Snyder, 1904 (Y-patterned moray)
• Gymnothorax breedeni McCosker & J. E. Randall, 1977 (Black-cheek moray)
• Gymnothorax buroensis (Bleeker, 1857) (Vagrant moray)
• Gymnothorax castaneus (D. S. Jordan & C. H. Gilbert, 1883) (Panamic green moray)
• Gymnothorax castlei E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Randall, 1999 (Castle's moray)
• Gymnothorax cephalospilus E. B. Böhlke & McCosker, 2001 (Head-spot moray)
• Gymnothorax chilospilus Bleeker, 1864 (Lip-spot moray)
• Gymnothorax chlamydatus Snyder, 1908 (Banded mud moray)
• Gymnothorax conspersus Poey, 1867 (Saddled moray)
• Gymnothorax cribroris Whitley, 1932 (Sieve-patterned moray)
• Gymnothorax davidsmithi McCosker & J. E. Randall, 2008 (Flores mud moray)
• Gymnothorax dorsalis Seale, 1917
• Gymnothorax dovii (Günther, 1870) (Fine-spotted moray)
• Gymnothorax elaineheemstrae ^[5]
• Gymnothorax elegans Bliss, 1883 (Elegant moray)
• Gymnothorax emmae Prokofiev, 2010^[6]
• Gymnothorax enigmaticus McCosker & J. E. Randall, 1982 (Enigmatic moray)
• Gymnothorax equatorialis (Hildebrand, 1946) (Spot-tail moray)
• Gymnothorax eurostus (C. C. Abbott, 1860) (Abbott's moray)
• Gymnothorax eurygnathos E. B. Böhlke, 2001
• Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801 (Laced moray)
• Gymnothorax fimbriatus (E. T. Bennett, 1832) (Fimbriated moray)
• Gymnothorax flavimarginatus (Rüppell, 1830) (Yellow-edged moray)
• Gymnothorax flavoculus (E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Randall, 1996) (Pale-nose moray)
• Gymnothorax formosus Bleeker, 1864
• Gymnothorax funebris Ranzani, 1839 (Green moray)
• Gymnothorax fuscomaculatus (L. P. Schultz, 1953) (Brown-spotted moray)
• Gymnothorax gracilicauda O. P. Jenkins, 1903 (Slender-tail moray)
• Gymnothorax griseus (Lacépède, 1803) (Geometric moray)
• Gymnothorax hansi Heemstra, 2004
• Gymnothorax hepaticus (Rüppell, 1830) (Liver-colored moray)
• Gymnothorax herrei Beebe & Tee-Van, 1933 (Herre's moray)
• Gymnothorax hubbsi J. E. Böhlke & E. B. Böhlke, 1977 (Lichen moray)
• Gymnothorax indicus Mohapatra, D. Ray, D. G. Smith & Mishra, 2016 (Indian unpatterened moray)^[7]
• Gymnothorax intesi (Fourmanoir & Rivaton, 1979) (White-tip moray)
• Gymnothorax isingteena (J. Richardson, 1845) (Indo-Pacific spotted moray)
• Gymnothorax javanicus (Bleeker, 1859) (Giant moray)
• Gymnothorax johnsoni (J. L. B. Smith, 1962) (White-spotted moray)
• Gymnothorax kidako (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846) (Kidako moray)
• Gymnothorax kolpos J. E. Böhlke & E. B. Böhlke, 1980 (Black-tail moray)
• Gymnothorax kontodontos E. B. Böhlke, 2000 (Short-tooth moray)
• Gymnothorax longinquus (Whitley, 1948)
• Gymnothorax maderensis (J. Y. Johnson, 1862) (Shark-tooth moray)
• Gymnothorax mareei Poll, 1953 (Spot-jaw moray)
• Gymnothorax margaritophorus Bleeker, 1864 (Blotch-necked moray)
• Gymnothorax marshallensis (L. P. Schultz, 1953) (Marshall Islands moray)
• Gymnothorax mccoskeri D. G. Smith & E. B. Böhlke, 1997
• Gymnothorax megaspilus E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Randall, 1995 (Oman moray)
• Gymnothorax melanosomatus K. H. Loh, K. T. Shao & H. M. Chen, 2011 (Black-body moray)^[8]
• Gymnothorax melatremus L. P. Schultz, 1953 (Dwarf moray)
• Gymnothorax meleagris (G. Shaw, 1795) (Turkey moray)
• Gymnothorax microspila (Günther, 1870)
• Gymnothorax microstictus E. B. Böhlke, 2000 (Small-spot moray)
• Gymnothorax miliaris (Kaup, 1856) (Golden-tail moray)
• Gymnothorax minor (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)
• Gymnothorax mishrai D. Ray, Mohapatra & D. G. Smith, 2015 (Bengal moray)^[9]
• Gymnothorax moluccensis (Bleeker, 1864) (Moluccan moray)
• Gymnothorax monochrous (Bleeker, 1856) (Drab moray)
• Gymnothorax monostigma (Regan, 1909) (One-spot moray)
• Gymnothorax mordax (Ayres, 1859) (California moray)
• Gymnothorax moringa (G. Cuvier, 1829) (Spotted moray)
• Gymnothorax nasuta F. de Buen, 1961 (Easter Island moray)
• Gymnothorax neglectus S. Tanaka (I), 1911
• Gymnothorax nigromarginatus (Girard, 1858) (Black-edge moray)
• Gymnothorax niphostigmus H. M. Chen, K. T. Shao & C. T. Chen, 1996 (Snowflake-patched moray)
• Gymnothorax nubilus (J. Richardson, 1848) (Grey moray)
• Gymnothorax nudivomer (Günther, 1867) (Yellow-mouth moray)
• Gymnothorax nuttingi Snyder, 1904 (Nutting's moray)
• Gymnothorax obesus (Whitley, 1932) (Griffin's moray)
• Gymnothorax ocellatus Agassiz, 1831 (Caribbean ocellated moray)
• Gymnothorax odishi Mohapatra, Mohanty, Smith, Mishra, and Roy, 2018^[10]
• Gymnothorax panamensis (Steindachner, 1876) (Masked moray)
• Gymnothorax parini Collette, D. G. Smith & E. B. Böhlke, 1991
• Gymnothorax phalarus W. A. Bussing, 1998
• Gymnothorax phasmatodes (J. L. B. Smith, 1962) (Ghost moray)
• Gymnothorax philippinus D. S. Jordan & Seale, 1907 (Philippines moray)
• Gymnothorax pictus (J. N. Ahl, 1789) (Paint-spotted moray)
• Gymnothorax pikei Bliss, 1883 (Pike's moray)
• Gymnothorax pindae J. L. B. Smith, 1962 (Pinda moray)
• Gymnothorax polygonius Poey, 1875 (Polygon moray)
• Gymnothorax polyspondylus E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Randall, 2000
• Gymnothorax polyuranodon (Bleeker, 1854) (Freshwater moray)
• Gymnothorax porphyreus (Guichenot, 1848) (Low-fin moray)
• Gymnothorax prasinus (J. Richardson, 1848) (Yellow moray)
• Gymnothorax prionodon J. D. Ogilby, 1895 (Australian mottled moray)
• Gymnothorax prismodon E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Randall, 2000
• Gymnothorax prolatus K. Sasaki & Amaoka, 1991
• Gymnothorax pseudoherrei E. B. Böhlke, 2000 (False brown moray)
• Gymnothorax pseudomelanosomatus K. H. Loh, K. T. Shao & H. M. Chen, 2015 (False black-body moray)^[11]
• Gymnothorax pseudothyrsoideus (Bleeker, 1853) (High-fin moray)
• Gymnothorax pseudotile Mohapatra, Smith, Ray, Mishra & Mohanty, 2017 (Bengal low-fin moray)
• Gymnothorax punctatofasciatus Bleeker, 1863 (Bars'n-spots moray)
• Gymnothorax punctatus Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801 (Red Sea white-spotted moray)
• Gymnothorax randalli D. G. Smith & E. B. Böhlke, 1997 (Randall's moray)
• Gymnothorax reevesii (J. Richardson, 1845) (Reeve's moray)
• Gymnothorax reticularis Bloch, 1795
• Gymnothorax richardsonii (Bleeker, 1852) (Richardson's moray)
• Gymnothorax robinsi E. B. Böhlke, 1997 (Robins' moray)
• Gymnothorax rueppelliae (McClelland, 1844) (Banded moray)
• Gymnothorax ryukyuensis Hatooka, 2003
• Gymnothorax sagenodeta (Richardson, 1848)
• Gymnothorax sagmacephalus E. B. Böhlke, 1997
• Gymnothorax saxicola D. S. Jordan & B. M. Davis, 1891 (Ocellated moray)
• Gymnothorax serratidens (Hildebrand & F. O. Barton, 1949)
• Gymnothorax shaoi H. M. Chen & K. H. Loh, 2007
• Gymnothorax sokotrensis Kotthaus, 1968
• Gymnothorax steindachneri D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1903 (Steindachner's moray)
• Gymnothorax taiwanensis H. M. Chen, K. H. Loh & K. T. Shao, 2008 (Taiwanese moray)
• Gymnothorax tamilnaduensis Kodeeswaran, Kantharajan, Mohapatra, Kumar & Sarkar 2023
• Gymnothorax thyrsoideus (J. Richardson, 1845) (Grey-face moray)
• Gymnothorax tile (F. Hamilton, 1822) (Indian mud moray)
• Gymnothorax undulatus (Lacépède, 1803) (Undulated moray)
• Gymnothorax unicolor (Delaroche, 1809) (Brown moray)
• Gymnothorax vagrans (Seale, 1917)
• Gymnothorax verrilli (D. S. Jordan & C. H. Gilbert, 1883) (White-edged moray)
• Gymnothorax vicinus (Castelnau, 1855) (Purple-mouth moray)
• Gymnothorax visakhaensis Mohapatra, Smith, Mohanty, Mishra & Tudu, 2017
• Gymnothorax walvisensis Prokofiev, 2009
• Gymnothorax woodwardi McCulloch, 1912
• Gymnothorax ypsilon Hatooka & J. E. Randall, 1992 (Y-bar moray)
• Gymnothorax zonipectis Seale, 1906 (Barred-fin moray)

Notes and References

1. Smith . D.G. . 2012 . A checklist of the moray eels of the world (Teleostei: Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) . Zootaxa . 3474 . 1-64 .
2. Gymnothorax Bloch, 1795 . 125636 . 13 March 2020 .
3. Mohapatra . Anil . Kiruba-Sankar . R. . Praveenraj . J. . Mohanty . Swarup Ranjan . 2019-08-27. A new short brown unpatterned moray eel Gymnothorax andamanensis (Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from Andaman waters, India. Zootaxa. en. 4661. 1. 189–196. 10.11646/zootaxa.4661.1.11. 31716725 . 202849896 . 1175-5334.
4. Nashad. M.. Mohapatra. Anil. Varghese. Sijo P.. Ramalingam. L.. K. Bineesh K.. Mohanty. Swarup Ranjan. 2020-11-10. A new white-spotted moray eel, Gymnothorax aurocephalus sp. nov. (Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from Andaman Sea, India. Zootaxa. en. 4877. 2. 361–372. 10.11646/zootaxa.4877.2.8. 33311194 . 228863906 . 1175-5334.
5. Yonela . Sithole . David G. . Smith . Monica . Mwale . Gavin . Gouws . 2020 . A Taxonomic Revision of Gymnothorax undulatus (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) in the Western Indian Ocean, with Description of A New Species . Zootaxa . 4767 . 1 . 161–181 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4767.1.7. 218992195 .
6. Prokofiev, A.M. (2010): Two New Species of Fishes from Families Muraenidae (Anguilliformes) and Mugiloididae (Perciformes) from the Waters of Vietnam. Journal of Ichthyology, 50 (8): 580-589.
7. Mohapatra, A., Ray, D., Smith, D.G. & Mishra, S.S. (2016): A new species of elongate unpatterned moray eel of the genus Gymnothorax (Muraenidae: Muraeninae) from the Bay of Bengal. Zootaxa, 4150 (5): 591–598.
8. Loh, K.-H., Shao, K.-T. & Chen, H.-M. (2011): Gymnothorax melanosomatus, a new moray eel (Teleostei: Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from southeastern Taiwan. Zootaxa, 3134: 43–52.
9. Ray, D., Mohapatra, A. & Smith, D.G. (2015): A new species of Short Brown Unpatterned Moray Eel of the Genus Gymnothorax (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from the Bay of Bengal. Zootaxa, 4027 (1): 140–144.
10. Mohapatra, A., S. R. Mohanty, D. G. Smith, S. S. Mishra and S. Roy 2018. Gymnothorax odishi sp. nov. (Muraenidae: Muraeninae), a short brown unpatterned moray eel from Bay of Bengal, India. Zootaxa 4420 (no. 1): 123-130.
11. Loh, K.-H., Shao, K.-T., Ho, H.-C., Lim, P.-E. & Chen, H.-M. (2015): A new species of moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from Taiwan, with comments on related elongate unpatterned species. Zootaxa, 4060 (1): 30-40.