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Species: Echidna catenata, Chain moray

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dark + pale chain-link pattern
D: origin before gill opening
tail < 1/2 TL
teeth short, very blunt
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This Species (8) This Genus (1) Similar Species (0)

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Echidna catenata (Bloch, 1795)

Chain moray

Snout short and jaws short, broad, head profile steep; head and body 37-43% of TL; front nostril tubular, rear one a small hole with a raised wrinkle edge, above front edge of eye; teeth in multiple rows, short and blunt, no canines, molar-like on center of roof of mouth; gill opening a small slit at mid-flank; dorsal and anal fins skin covered, but evident; dorsal origin on head before gill opening, anal origin immediately after anus; 2 pores high above gill area, 6 pores along lower jaw, last one before end of mouth.

Head and body with a highly variable chain-link pattern of yellow lines separating patches of dark grey-brown.

Reaches 71 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 0-20 m, usually intertidally at the shoreline.

Bermuda to Brazil and the central Atlantic islands.

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Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Brackish
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Mangrove
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • Data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Extends South of GC
  • All species..
  • Island (s)
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Continent
  • GC non-endemic
  • Also in Brazil
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 71
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 20