needle-tooth moray
Uropterygius macrocephalus
Moray of exposed reefs in the eastern Pacific, which hides in crevices and is rarely seen. It is almost never caught on a rod.
Also called: moreia-cabeçuda, morena cabezona, morena alfiletera, needle-tooth moray
- maximum
- 47 cm
- depth
- 1–14 m
who is the needle-tooth moray
The bighead moray belongs to the family Muraenidae and reaches 47 cm. It has an eel-like body and a large head, which explains its common names. It lives alone in crevices of reefs exposed to open sea, from 1 to 14 m, and is rarely seen. It occurs from the southern Gulf of California to Ecuador, including the Revillagigedo, Cocos and Galapagos islands, and also in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to southern Japan and Hawaii. It is not a target of sport fishing and appears in the aquarium trade.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the needle-tooth moray; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Moray with an elongated body and a large head. Its teeth are fine as needles and set in two rows, which explains one of its common names (needle-toothed moray). It lives alone, hidden in crevices of reefs exposed to open sea, and is almost never seen, which makes identification difficult.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from the southern Gulf of California to Ecuador, including the Galapagos and Revillagigedo, on exposed reefs.
Habitat: Reefs exposed to open sea, in crevices, from 1 to 14 m.
rules for the needle-tooth moray
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It poses no danger to anglers. Watch the mouth, as morays bite when handled.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00071, b = 3.14; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Uropterygius macrocephalus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Uropterygius macrocephalusNames by country and language.
