Species: Gymnothorax ocellatus, Ocellated Moray

Gymnothorax ocellatus Agassiz, 1831

Ocellated Moray

Body elongate, compressed at rear; tail tapering; head and trunk shorter than to slightly >1/2 TL; head robust; snout moderate and blunt; skin thick, with longitudinal wrinkles on gill area; eye large, over middle of mouth; front nostril a simple tube; rear nostril a rimmed hole at level of profile of head that has a slightly raised and wrinkled edge; mouth short, lower jaw straight, mouth closes completely; teeth large, triangular, compressed, serrated, in a single series on jaws; top front of mouth with 1 tooth at center and 2 large teeth on each side behind that, then 8-10 main jaw teeth on each side, those becoming increasingly smaller at rear; back of roof of mouth with a row of small, conical hidden teeth; lower jaw with 9-16 teeth on each side, the first 4 abruptly larger than those behind; gill opening round; dorsal and anal fins covered with skin, but evident; dorsal origin on head, before gill opening; no pectoral fins; top jaw with 3 pores.

Yellowish brown to yellow, darker above; upper head and upper ¾ of body and tail with distinct, well separated white spots of varying shapes and sizes (up to eye size), larger and more diffuse on tail; belly not marked; head with smaller spots, a dark ring around the eye; dorsal fin with spotted pattern on inner part and outer part with a black edge strongly marked with white slashes; anal fin like dorsal fin but less distinctly marked; tip of tail pale.

Reaches 61 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms.

Depth range: 1-445 m.

Cuba to Argentina