Help With Eel Identification

[CajunDiva]

That was actually the divemaster...I thought he'd seen it all, but this really got him going

 

[DiveMaven]

There's a picture of a Giant Moray in John P. Hoover's "The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes" that looks exactly like your eel (p. 105 upper right corner). I think you're buddy hit the nail on the head with this one!

 

[CajunDiva]

Thank you SO MUCH! Wish I could see your picture...is it available online or just in the book?

Does it say anything about a juvenile phase? I'm wondering if they have more definitive spots when they are younger...most pics I see of Giant Morays do not have the large dark spots all over the body

 

[101recon]

I believe that is Gymnothorax undulatus.
AKA Undulated moray, Leopard moray,Common moray,Mottled moray......
I don't think it's a honeycomb,they usually don't have the darker looking head compared to the rest of the body.
I don't believe it is a Giant moray because they tend to have smaller "spots" or color patterns with a more uniform overall appearance.
It is often very difficult to ID a specific moray.I have seen morays known to be the same species with very different color patterns so I may be wrong.

 

[CajunDiva]

I believe that is Gymnothorax undulatus.
AKA Undulated moray, Leopard moray,Common moray,Mottled moray......
I don't think it's a honeycomb,they usually don't have the darker looking head compared to the rest of the body.
I don't believe it is a Giant moray because they tend to have smaller "spots" or color patterns with a more uniform overall appearance.
It is often very difficult to ID a specific moray.I have seen morays known to be the same species with very different color patterns so I may be wrong.

I agree with you about the different colored head...that is what really throws me off. I wonder if they look a certain way when they are younger and then change with age?

 

[DiveMaven]

The picture in the book I referenced has the yellowish head and nearly identical markings on the body as your photo. I haven't seen the image in the book on-line, sorry.

 

[CajunDiva]

Thanks DiveMaven I REALLY appreciate your comments. I have searched extensively online for every picture I could find of the Giant Moray. None of them seem to have these same spots except a couple that looked very young, but no information was available about them. I am wondering if they have these beautiful spots when they are juveniles and then lose them later in life...but my guy was HUGE, so I don't think he was a juvenile

I'm thinking I might buy the book just so I can see it!

 

[101recon]

I agree with you about the different colored head...that is what really throws me off. I wonder if they look a certain way when they are younger and then change with age?

I've always purchased my eels as juveniles.There is no way to judge the age of aquarium kept eels from size.A larger size may simply mean they were kept in a larger aquarium.
I've had some eels that showed a change in the contrast between the body color and patterns,but I've never seen a change in the patterns.

 

[Luku]

Photo of Giant Morey Eel http://www.scuba.com/diving-photos/2063/giant-moray-eel

Photo of Honeycomb Morey Eel http://www.aqua-fish.net/saltwater/?honeycomb-moray

Photo of Undulated Morey Eel http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/other-animals-5363/some-of-my-fish-129884/page-4

Your Eel