Gymnomuraena zebra

(Shaw, 1797)

Zebra Moray

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa and Persian Gulf to the Society Islands, north to Southern Japan and Hawaiian Islands, south to Great Barrier Reff, and east to Baja California, and the Galapagos Islands.

Size: 60 inches (150 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits caves and crevices mostly on fringing reefs, reef faces, and fore-reef slopes at depths between 3 to about 130 feet (1 – 40 m) and feeds both in the daytime and at night mainly on crustaceans, e.g., crabs, urchins, and snails.

General Husbandry: One of the more commonly seen in the trade moray eels and most well behaved moray eels, having a short blunt snout, and black and white bands from the snout to the tail.

Best maintained in an aquarium having hiding places/caves large enough to conceal its entire body, and peaceful tankmates.

As to diet, fresh fish and/or crustacean flesh impaled on a long feeding stick and waved near its head, which usually sticks out of a hiding area, will entice it to grab the food and should be offered twice weekly.

Taxonomy:

Order: Anguilliformes

Suborder: Muraenoidei

Family: Muraenidae

Subfamily: Muraeninae

Genus: Gymnomuraena

FYI: Avoid hand feeding!

Only species in this genus.

Ideal community fish.

Will eat ornamental crustaceans.

May be difficult to get feeding, if so, try providing it live ghost/grass shrimp and/or small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs to induce feeding.

Aquarium must be covered, as they can get out of the aquarium through very small openings.

Rockwork in the aquarium should be quite stable, as they can undermine rock structures and cause their collapse.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5