Teleostei (teleosts) > 
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > 
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae						
							
							Etymology: Gymnothorax: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, thorax, -akos = breast (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Lacepède.						
					
				
					Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range					
						Ecology					
				
				
				
					Marine;  reef-associated; depth range 1 - 40 m (Ref. 30573). Tropical				
				 
			
			
			
				
				
				
					Western Indian Ocean:  throughout the area, including the Red Sea.
				
				
			
			
				
					Size / Weight / Age
				
				
				
					Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
 Max length : 65.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)				
				 
			
			
						
				
					Short description					
					Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics					
				
				
				
					Head brownish with conspicuous lines of black dots (Ref. 3257).  Body lilac with brown marbling (Ref. 3257).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.				
				 
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Found in shallow coastal waters, on coral and rocky reefs (Ref. 30573).  Simultaneous hermaphroditism is confirmed for this species (Ref. 103751).			
			 
			
			
			
				
				
				
				Simultaneous hermaphroditism is confirmed using good diagnostic criteria (Ref. 103751).				
				 
			
			 
				
				
				
					Böhlke, E.B. and J.E. Randall, 1999. Gymnothorax castlei, a new species of Indo-Pacific moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae). Raffles Bull. Zool. 47(2):549-554. (Ref. 35991)
				
				 
			
			
			
							
					
						IUCN Red List Status   (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
				 
					
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Threat to humans  
				
				
				
					  Harmless				
				
			 
			
			
			
			
				
					Human uses  				
				
				
					Fisheries: minor commercial				
				
				
			
			
						
			
			
			
				
Tools
				
			
			
			
				
Special reports
 
				
			
			
			
				
Download XML
				
			
			
			
				
					Internet sources
				
				
			
			
			
				
					Estimates based on models				
				
				
				Preferred temperature (Ref. 
123201): 24.6 - 29.3, mean 27.3 °C (based on 182 cells).
				
				
					
					Phylogenetic diversity index  (Ref. 
82804):  PD
50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].					
													Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00048 (0.00025 - 0.00091), b=3.28 (3.12 - 3.44), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref. 
93245).
					
					Trophic level  (Ref. 
69278):  4.0   ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives					
											
				
				
										
						Resilience  (Ref. 
120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Fec = 8,000-12,000).					
											
				
									
					Fishing Vulnerability  (Ref. 
59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (46 of 100). 
🛈					
						Nutrients  (Ref. 
124155):  Calcium = 36 [20, 67] mg/100g; Iron = 0.462 [0.279, 0.977] mg/100g; Protein = 18.8 [16.5, 21.3] %; Omega3 = 0.11 [0.05, 0.31] g/100g; Selenium = 38.1 [21.2, 75.7] μg/100g; VitaminA = 73.4 [22.6, 225.2] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.972 [0.691, 1.341] mg/100g (wet weight);