Species: Gymnothorax miliaris, Goldentail Moray

Gymnothorax miliaris (Kaup, 1856)

Goldentail Moray

Body short and stubby, compressed at rear; tail tapering; head and trunk shorter than to slightly >1/2 TL; snout short and blunt; eye over or slightly behind middle of mouth; front nostril a simple tube; rear nostril a hole with a raised rim at level of profile of head; mouth short, lower jaw straight, mouth closes completely; teeth smooth, short, slender, conical, no long canines; 2 rows of small, smooth, curved teeth on jaws; 5 rows of teeth at top front of mouth; top jaw with 2 rows of teeth –15-24 outer and 6-12 inner; center of roof of mouth with 1 row of 14-16 stout teeth; lower jaw with an outer row of 18-30 teeth and a front inner row of 2-5 teeth; gill opening round; dorsal and anal fins covered with skin, but evident; dorsal origin on head, before gill opening.

Color highly variable; (i) dark brown with a dense covering of creamy yellow spots, and a pale yellow tip to the tail, iris gold; other patterns include (ii) a reversed pattern of dark spots on a pale background; (iii) a network of brown lines on a white to yellow background; (iv) a pale body with large irregularly distributed dark blotches, sometimes only a few blotches.

Reaches 70 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 0-71 m.

The E, Central and W Atlantic; North Carolina to Brazil.