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.
Gymnothorax as currently recognized is polyphyletic, and comparative studies are needed before action is taken to resurrect generic synonyms of Gymnothorax.
Description Species in this genus are slender (most skinny one being Gymnothorax gracilicauda) as are most eels. They grow to . On the opposite end of the spectrum, some species only grow to a maximum size of less than . Many species have complex patterns, but many others are quite bland without much coloration on their bodies. Moray eel species, inevitably applying to Gymnothorax owing to its high diversity, are often found in generally shallow-water habitats, but many species are also found in deep water, being more common in those environments than previously thought.
Like all moray eels, they have pharyngeal jaws.
Species Both FishBase and World Register of Marine Species recognize a total of 128 valid species in the genus. 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 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 arabicus D. G. Smith, Bogorodsky, Dandar & Zajonz, 2024 Gymnothorax atolli (Pietschmann, 1935) (Atoll moray) Gymnothorax aurocephalus Nashad, Mohapatra, Varghese & Bineesh, 2020 (Goldenhead moray) 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 cinerascens (Plain 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 Gymnothorax elegans Bliss, 1883 (Elegant moray) Gymnothorax emmae Prokofiev, 2010Prokofiev, 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. 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)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. 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)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. 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)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. 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 mucifer Snyder, 1904 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, 2018Mohapatra, 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. Gymnothorax panamensis (Steindachner, 1876) (Masked moray) Gymnothorax parini Collette, D. G. Smith & E. B. Böhlke, 1991 Gymnothorax phalarus W. A. Bussing, 1998 Gymnothorax pharaonis D. G. Smith, S. V. Bogordosky, A. O. Mal, and T. J. Alpermann, 2019 (Pharaoh's moray) 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 poikilospilus Chen & Huang, 2022 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 pseudokidako Huang, Loh & Liao, 2021 Gymnothorax pseudomelanosomatus K. H. Loh, K. T. Shao & H. M. Chen, 2015 (False black-body moray)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. Gymnothorax pseudoprolatus (Short-tail Brown moray) 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 vietnamensis (Vietnamese 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)
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