Animal-World > Marine - Saltwater Fish > Marine Eels

Marine Eels

Family: MuraenidaeMoray EelsEchidna catenataPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

     The Romans valued morays very highly, sometimes decorating them with jewels! Marine eels are generally very hardy and easy to keep!

     There are about 20 other families of eels, the moray is the most commonly kept in aquaria and are the family mostly covered here. As soon as we get specimens and/or pictures of other kinds, we will include them also.

     This is a nocturnal family of fish that lives in holes and caves in the reef and snatching any hapless fish that may wander by. They are undemanding in the aquarium as long as they have plenty of room, a place to hide, and plenty of food. Morays locate food mainly with their sense of smell.

For more Information on keeping marine fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Marine Eels: Click on the small images below
for more information about each one.

Muraenidae - Morays
Atlantic Chain Moray Eel	Common Moray Eel
Echidna catenata	Gymnothorax kidako
Ribbon Eel	Yellowhead Moray Eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita	Gymnothorax fimbriatus
Zebra Moray Eel
Gymnomuraena zebra

Ophichthidae - Snake Eels
Banded Snake Eel
Myrichthys colubrinus

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Care and feeding:      In captivity eels will eat almost any kind of meaty food like live fish, shrimp, squid, and chopped up fish. In the wild squid is a delicacy so make sure and give them some once in a while.
     Morays locate food mainly with their sense of smell. Watch your fingers when feeding a Moray since their eyesight is not very good and it is easy to mistake your fingers for a morsel of food.

Breeding Eels:      Everything we have found on the subject indicates that they are not commonly bred in captivity for several reasons. First they will not breed until they are very large and have outgrown most aquariums. Also, morays, with the exception of ribbon eels, are what is called 'gonochoristic'. The female will spawn either as a pair or with several smaller males. At dusk the eggs are released and are basically pelagic. The larval stage of the eel lasts for 6-10 months and so makes it difficult to reproduce in the aquarium.

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