Species: Gymnothorax maderensis, Sharktooth Moray

Gymnothorax maderensis (Johnson, 1862)

Sharktooth Moray

Body elongate, compressed at rear; tail tapering; head large and blunt; 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 raised, wrinkled rim at level of profile of head; lower jaw straight, mouth closes completely; teeth large, triangular, compressed, serrated, with a knob at the rear of the base, in single series on jaws; top front of mouth with 4-6 large teeth on each side, then 5-10 main jaw teeth on each side; back of roof of mouth with 2-7 small, conical hidden teeth; lower jaw with 10-18 teeth on each side; gill opening round; dorsal and anal fins covered with skin, but evident; dorsal origin on head, before gill opening; 4 pores along top jaw.

Yellowish to greenish, head darker, overlaid by numerous fine brown reticulating lines on head, body and fins; outer edges of fins pale; freshly caught specimens may be covered with lime-green slime.

Reaches 104 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms and on rocky bottoms.

Depth range: 85-357 m.

E and W Atlantic; N Carolina to the NE Caribbean.