Reef Fish
Giant Moray Eel
Gymnothorax javanicus · Bony fish — family Muraenidae (moray eels); the largest moray by mass on Indo-Pacific reefs
The open mouth reads as menace but is only breathing — morays pump water over their gills by gaping, and the giant moray spends daylight doing exactly that from a favorite crevice. It is the largest moray on Indo-Pacific reefs, thick as a diver's thigh, patterned in leopard spots that darken with age. Cleaner wrasses and shrimp work inside the open jaws at station after station; hang back and let the appointment finish. In the Red Sea, giant morays have been documented hunting cooperatively with roving coral groupers, the grouper signaling over a hidden fish and the eel flushing it out. Bites almost always trace back to feeding attempts or hands placed into holes. Look into a crevice before you brace on anything, and keep fingers off the reef.
Где и когда увидеть
«Постоянные» — значит, большинство погружений в этом месте позволяет встретить их; «сезонные» — значит, они стабильно присутствуют в указанные месяцы; всё остальное — приятный бонус, а не повод строить планы.
| Направление | Достоверность | Месяцы | Примечания |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharm El Sheikh & Ras MohammedEgypt | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| North & South Malé AtollsMaldives | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| Sipadan & MabulMalaysia | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| PalauPalau | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| Cairns & the Ribbon ReefsAustralia | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год | |
| Hurghada & El GounaEgypt | Resident — seen on most dives | Круглый год |
Лучший месяц — коротко
Как их понять
Среда обитания: Crevices, overhangs, and wreck recesses on lagoon and seaward reefs; a favored hole is reused for long periods.
Ареал: Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, from East Africa to French Polynesia and southern Japan.
Поведение: Gapes rhythmically to breathe, holds still for cleaner wrasses and shrimp working inside the mouth, and in the Red Sea has been documented hunting cooperatively with roving coral groupers.
Рацион питания: Fishes and occasionally crustaceans, mostly hunted at night by scent along the reef.
Размер: как правило, около 1.8 m; задокументировано до 3.0 m (total length; heavy-bodied, with large adults approaching 30 kg).
Как вести себя рядом с ним
Give cleaner stations room to finish, approach the crevice from the front at an unhurried pace, and keep bare hands off the reef around any occupied hole.
Охрана природы
Widespread and not considered threatened; large individuals are a known ciguatera risk and are rarely fished.
Известные места на карте
Смотреть
Из официальных источников
Best Places to Dive with Whale Sharks
Outrageously Tiny Fish
Sink or Swim? with Monét X Change | Monterey Bay Aquarium
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