Gymnothorax vicinus

(Castelnau, 1855)

Purplemouth Moray

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Southern Florida, Bermuda, Bahamas, Caribbean, and northern South America.

Size: 50 inches (125 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coral and rocky reefs at depths between 3 to about 400 feet (1 – 120 m) and stays under rocks and/or in caves during daytime and hunts prey during evening hours when it feeds mainly on small fishes and crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, having a pale yellow to tan body with darker markings.

Best maintained in a dimly lit aquarium having live rock, hiding places/caves, and tankmates large enough not to be eaten.

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: Gymnothorax

FYI: Avoid hand 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: Semi-aggressive

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Semi-aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 150 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5