Species: Gymnothorax kolpos, Blacktail Moray

Gymnothorax kolpos Bohlke & Bohlke, 1980

Blacktail Moray

Body elongate, compressed at rear; tail tapering; snout moderate and blunt; mouth short; head and trunk shorter than to slightly >1/2 TL; eye over middle of mouth; front nostril a simple tube; rear nostril a hole with a rim at level of profile of head; lower jaw straight, mouth closes completely; teeth large, triangular, compressed, serrated, in single series on jaws; top front of mouth with 1 central tooth and 4 teeth on each side, then 8-14 main jaw teeth on each side; back of roof of mouth with 0-7 teeth; lower jaw with 13-19 teeth on each side; gill opening round; dorsal and anal fins covered with skin, but evident; dorsal origin on head, before gill opening; top jaw with 3 pores.

Head and trunk green-brown, merging into dark brown-black on the rear 1/3 of the tail; numerous small ocellated white spots on the head and front body, those becoming fewer and larger to rear, only 3-4 large white spots on rear 1/3 of tail; dorsal fin spotted like body, merging to entirely dark at rear, dark outer edge; anal fin without spots, darker at rear than at front; margins of head pores, nostrils and eye of adults ringed with dark color.

Reaches 93 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms.

Depth range: 40-336 m.

S Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico.