''Gymnothorax'' is a genus of fish in the family (biology), family Muraenidae found in Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, 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''.
Description
Species in this genus are slender (most skinny one being ''Slendertail moray eel, Gymnothorax gracilicauda'' )and can get up to 6-8 feet. Like all Moray eel, moray eels have Pharyngeal jaw, 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''
Marcus Elieser Bloch, Bloch, 1795 (Dark moray)
* ''Gymnothorax albimarginatus''
(Coenraad Jacob Temminck, Temminck & Hermann Schlegel, Schlegel, 1846) (White-margin moray)
*''Gymnothorax andamanensis''
* ''Gymnothorax angusticauda''
(Max Carl Wilhelm Weber, M. C. W. Weber & Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort, de Beaufort, 1916) (Narrow-tail moray)
* ''Gymnothorax angusticeps''
(Samuel Frederick Hildebrand, Hildebrand & Frederick Otis Barton Jr., F. O. Barton, 1949)
* ''Gymnothorax annasona''
Gilbert Percy Whitley, Whitley, 1937 (Lord Howe Island moray)
* ''Gymnothorax annulatus''
David G. Smith (ichthyologist), D. G. Smith & Eugenia Brandt Böhlke, E. B. Böhlke, 1997 (Ringed moray)
* ''Gymnothorax arabicus''
D. G. Smith, Sergey V. Bogorodsky, Bogorodsky, James Dandar, Dandar & Uwe Zajonz, Zajonz, 2024
* ''Gymnothorax atolli''
(Viktor Pietschmann, Pietschmann, 1935) (Atoll moray)
*''Gymnothorax aurocephalus''
Nashad, Mohapatra, Varghese & Bineesh, 2020 (Goldenhead moray)
* ''Gymnothorax australicola''
Robert J. Lavenberg, Lavenberg, 1992 (South Pacific moray)
* ''Gymnothorax austrinus''
Eugenia Brandt Böhlke, E. B. Böhlke & John Edward McCosker, McCosker, 2001 (Southern moray)
* ''Gymnothorax bacalladoi''
E. B. Böhlke & Alberto Brito, Brito, 1987 (Canary moray)
* ''Gymnothorax baranesi''
David G. Smith (ichthyologist), D. G. Smith, Eran Brokovich, Brokovich & Shai Einbinder, Einbinder, 2008
* ''Gymnothorax bathyphilus''
John Ernest Randall, J. E. Randall & John Edward McCosker, McCosker, 1975 (Deep-dwelling moray)
* ''Gymnothorax berndti''
John Otterbein Snyder, Snyder, 1904 (Y-patterned moray)
* ''Gymnothorax breedeni''
McCosker & J. E. Randall, 1977 (Black-cheek moray)
* ''Gymnothorax buroensis''
(Pieter Bleeker, Bleeker, 1857) (Vagrant moray)
* ''Gymnothorax castaneus''
(David Starr Jordan, D. S. Jordan & Charles Henry Gilbert, 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''
Felipe Poey y Aloy, Poey, 1867 (Saddled moray)
* ''Gymnothorax cribroris''
Whitley, 1932 (Sieve-patterned moray)
* ''Gymnothorax davidsmithi''
McCosker & J. E. Randall, 2008 (Flores mud moray)
* ''Gymnothorax dorsalis''
Alvin Seale, Seale, 1917
* ''Gymnothorax dovii''
(Albert Günther, Günther, 1870) (Fine-spotted moray)
*''Gymnothorax elaineheemstrae''
* ''Gymnothorax elegans''
Richard Bliss Jr., Bliss, 1883 (Elegant moray)
* ''Gymnothorax emmae''
Artem Mikhailovich Prokofiev, Prokofiev, 2010[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.''
* ''Gymnothorax enigmaticus''
McCosker & J. E. Randall, 1982 (Enigmatic moray)
* ''Gymnothorax equatorialis''
(Hildebrand, 1946) (Spot-tail moray)
* ''Gymnothorax eurostus''
(Charles Conrad Abbott, C. C. Abbott, 1860) (Abbott's moray)
* ''Gymnothorax eurygnathos''
E. B. Böhlke, 2001
* ''Gymnothorax favagineus''
Bloch & Johann Gottlob Schneider, J. G. Schneider, 1801 (Laced moray)
* ''Gymnothorax fimbriatus''
(Edward Turner Bennett, E. T. Bennett, 1832) (Fimbriated moray)
* ''Gymnothorax flavimarginatus''
(Eduard Rüppell, Rüppell, 1830) (Yellow-edged moray)
* ''Gymnothorax flavoculus''
(E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Randall, 1996) (Pale-nose moray)
* ''Gymnothorax formosus''
Bleeker, 1864
* ''Gymnothorax funebris''
Camillo Ranzani, Ranzani, 1839 (Green moray)
* ''Gymnothorax fuscomaculatus''
(Leonard Peter Schultz, L. P. Schultz, 1953) (Brown-spotted moray)
* ''Gymnothorax gracilicauda''
Oliver Peebles Jenkins, O. P. Jenkins, 1903 (Slender-tail moray)
* ''Gymnothorax griseus''
(Bernard Germain de Lacépède, Lacépède, 1803) (Geometric moray)
* ''Gymnothorax hansi''
Phillip C. Heemstra, Heemstra, 2004
* ''Gymnothorax hepaticus''
(Rüppell, 1830) (Liver-colored moray)
* ''Gymnothorax herrei''
Charles William Beebe, Beebe & John Tee-Van, Tee-Van, 1933 (Herre's moray)
* ''Gymnothorax hubbsi''
James Erwin Böhlke, J. E. Böhlke & E. B. Böhlke, 1977 (Lichen moray)
* ''Gymnothorax indicus''
Anil Mohapatra, Mohapatra, Dipanjan Ray, D. Ray, David G. Smith (ichthyologist), D. G. Smith & Subhrendu Sekhar Mishra, 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''
(Pierre Fourmanoir, Fourmanoir & Jacques Rivaton, Rivaton, 1979) (White-tip moray)
* ''Gymnothorax isingteena''
(John Richardson (naturalist), J. Richardson, 1845) (Indo-Pacific spotted moray)
* ''Gymnothorax javanicus''
(Bleeker, 1859) (Giant moray)
* ''Gymnothorax johnsoni''
(James Leonard Brierley Smith, 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''
(James Yate Johnson, J. Y. Johnson, 1862) (Shark-tooth moray)
* ''Gymnothorax mareei''
Max Fernand Leon Poll, Poll, 1953 (Spot-jaw moray)
* ''Gymnothorax margaritophorus''
Bleeker, 1864 (Blotch-necked moray)
* ''Gymnothorax marshallensis''
(Leonard Peter Schultz, 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''
Loh Kar-Hoe, K. H. Loh, Shao Kwang-Tsao, K. T. Shao & Chen Hong-Ming, 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''
(George Shaw (biologist), 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''
Dipanjan Ray, D. Ray, Anil Mohapatra, Mohapatra & David G. Smith (ichthyologist), 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''
(Charles Tate Regan, Regan, 1909) (One-spot moray)
* ''Gymnothorax mordax''
(William Orville Ayres, Ayres, 1859) (California moray)
* ''Gymnothorax moringa''
(Georges Cuvier, G. Cuvier, 1829) (Spotted moray)
* ''Gymnothorax mucifer''
Snyder, 1904
* ''Gymnothorax nasuta''
Don Fernando de Buen y Lozano, F. de Buen, 1961 (Easter Island moray)
* ''Gymnothorax neglectus''
Shigeho Tanaka, S. Tanaka (I), 1911
* ''Gymnothorax nigromarginatus''
(Charles Frédéric Girard, Girard, 1858) (Black-edge moray)
* ''Gymnothorax niphostigmus''
Chen Hong-Ming, H. M. Chen, Shao Kwang-Tsao, K. T. Shao & Chen Che-Tsung, 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''
Louis Agassiz, Agassiz, 1831 (Caribbean ocellated moray)
* ''Gymnothorax odishi''
Mohapatra, Mohanty, Smith, Mishra, and Roy, 2018[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.]
* ''Gymnothorax panamensis''
(Franz Steindachner, Steindachner, 1876) (Masked moray)
* ''Gymnothorax parini''
Bruce Baden Collette, Collette, D. G. Smith & E. B. Böhlke, 1991
* ''Gymnothorax phalarus''
William Albert Bussing Burhaus, W. A. Bussing, 1998
* ''Gymnothorax pharaonis''
D. G. Smith, et. al. 2019 (Pharaoh's moray)
* ''Gymnothorax phasmatodes''
(J. L. B. Smith], 1962) (Ghost moray)
* ''Gymnothorax philippinus''
David Starr Jordan, D. S. Jordan & Alvin Seale, Seale, 1907 (Philippines moray)
* ''Gymnothorax pictus''
(Jonas Niclas Ahl, 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''
(Alphonse Guichenot, Guichenot, 1848) (Low-fin moray)
* ''Gymnothorax prasinus''
(J. Richardson, 1848) (Yellow moray)
* ''Gymnothorax prionodon''
James Douglas Ogilby, J. D. Ogilby, 1895 (Australian mottled moray)
* ''Gymnothorax prismodon''
E. B. Böhlke & J. E. Randall, 2000
* ''Gymnothorax prolatus''
Kunio Sasaki, K. Sasaki & Kunio Amaoka, Amaoka, 1991
* ''Gymnothorax pseudoherrei''
E. B. Böhlke, 2000 (False brown moray)
* ''Gymnothorax pseudokidako''
Huang, Loh & Liao, 2021
* ''Gymnothorax pseudomelanosomatus''
Loh Kar-Hoe, K. H. Loh, Shao Kwang-Tsao, K. T. Shao & Chen Hong-Ming, 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 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''
(John McClelland (doctor), McClelland, 1844) (Banded moray)
* ''Gymnothorax ryukyuensis''
Kiyotaka Hatooka, Hatooka, 2003
* ''Gymnothorax sagenodeta''
(Richardson, 1848)
* ''Gymnothorax sagmacephalus''
E. B. Böhlke, 1997
* ''Gymnothorax saxicola''
D. S. Jordan & Bradley Moore Davis, B. M. Davis, 1891 (Ocellated moray)
* ''Gymnothorax serratidens''
(Hildebrand & Frederick Otis Barton Jr., F. O. Barton, 1949)
* ''Gymnothorax shaoi''
Chen Hong-Ming, H. M. Chen & Loh Kar-Hoe, K. H. Loh, 2007
* ''Gymnothorax sokotrensis''
Adolf Kotthaus, Kotthaus, 1968
* ''Gymnothorax steindachneri''
D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1903 (Steindachner's moray)
* ''Gymnothorax taiwanensis''
H. M. Chen, K. H. Loh & Shao Kwang-Tsao, K. T. Shao, 2008 (Taiwanese moray)
* ''Gymnothorax tamilnaduensis''
Kodeeswaran, Kantharajan, Mohapatra, Kumar & Sarkar 2023
* ''Gymnothorax thyrsoideus''
(J. Richardson, 1845) (Grey-face moray)
* ''Gymnothorax tile''
(Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, F. Hamilton, 1822) (Indian mud moray)
* ''Gymnothorax undulatus''
(Lacépède, 1803) (Undulated moray)
* ''Gymnothorax unicolor''
(François Étienne Delaroche, Delaroche, 1809) (Brown moray)
* ''Gymnothorax vagrans''
(Seale, 1917)
* ''Gymnothorax verrilli''
(D. S. Jordan & C. H. Gilbert, 1883) (White-edged moray)
* ''Gymnothorax vicinus''
(Francis de Laporte de Castelnau, Castelnau, 1855) (Purple-mouth moray)
* ''Gymnothorax visakhaensis''
Mohapatra, Smith, Mohanty, Mishra & Tudu, 2017
* ''Gymnothorax walvisensis''
Prokofiev, 2009
* ''Gymnothorax woodwardi''
Allan Riverstone McCulloch, McCulloch, 1912
* ''Gymnothorax ypsilon''
Kiyotaka Hatooka, Hatooka & J. E. Randall, 1992 (Y-bar moray)
* ''Gymnothorax zonipectis''
Seale, 1906 (Barred-fin moray)
Notes
References
{{Authority control
Gymnothorax,
Marine fish genera
Taxa named by Marcus Elieser Bloch