Rhinomuraena quaesita

Garman, 1888

Ribbon Eel

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to the Tuamotu Islands, north to Southern Japan, south to New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

Size: 48 inches (120 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits lagoons and seaward reefs at depths between 3 to about 200 feet (1 – 60 m) and stays buried in sand or rubble during daytime and hunts prey during evening hours when it feeds mainly on crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, with juveniles all black, males having yellow dorsal fin, and females changing to almost all yellowish green, but with blue on the aft body.

Best maintained in aquarium having live rock, hiding places/caves, and peaceful tankmates that are large enough not to be eaten.

As to diet, fresh fish and/or crustacean flesh (especially krill) 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: Rhinomuraena

FYI: Avoid hand feeding!

All females are derived from males.

Often difficult to get feeding, if so, try feeding small live fishes (guppies/mollies), ghost/grass shrimp and/or small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs.

Will eat ornamental crustaceans.

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.

Plastic piping, such as PVC makes a good hiding tube, but put a 90 degree bend in it somewhere about one-third of its length.

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: 75 gallons

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

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5