abbott's moray eel
Gymnothorax eurostus
Moray of shallow reefs, purplish brown with yellow dots. It is not a target of rod fishing, but has commercial use in fishing and in the aquarium fish trade.
Also called: moreia-de-pintas-amarelas, moreia, Abbott's moray eel
- maximum
- 60 cm
- depth
- 3–5 m
who is the abbott's moray eel
The yellow-spotted moray belongs to the family Muraenidae, the morays, with a long, rounded body and no pectoral fins. In Latin America it occurs in Costa Rica and Chile; in the rest of its range it lives in the Indo-Pacific. It stays mostly on shallow reefs, hidden in crevices, usually at 3 to 5 m, but can go down to 74 m. It feeds on crustaceans and small fish. It reaches 60 cm in length. It is not a sought-after species in angling, but has commercial use, in fishing and in the aquarium fish 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 abbott's moray eel.
fun facts
- It is sold for aquariums.
identification
Eel-like body, long and rounded, dark purplish brown with small scattered yellow dots. The dots become sparser toward the tail, which helps identify the species. The teeth on the upper jaw form two rows of similar size. Since it hides in reef crevices, the most useful identification clue is the dark background with yellow dots, which thin out toward the tail.
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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
In Latin America, it occurs in Costa Rica and Chile, on shallow reefs. In the rest of its range, it lives in the Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Shallow reefs, in crevices and burrows, usually 3 to 5 m, but it can reach 74 m.
rules for the abbott's moray eel
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 has no spines or venom, but the moray bites if handled badly. Remove the hook with long pliers and release it without putting your hand into its burrows.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00063, b = 3.28; 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: Gymnothorax eurostus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Gymnothorax eurostusNames by country and language.