Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Species: Uropterygius macularius, Marbled Moray

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

rear nostril = hole over front edge eye
brown + pale star blotches, tip of tail yellow
tail: ~1/2 TL, point blunt
D & A = low crests on rear of tail

Uropterygius macularius (Lesueur, 1825)

Marbled Moray

Slender, moderately elongate, compressed at rear; tail slightly longer than head & trunk; snout short, ~conical; eye moderate, over middle of jaws; front nostril tubular; rear nostril a hole above front edge of eye; jaws short; teeth conical, slender, sharp; top jaws with outer row of close-set small teeth and an inner row of larger teeth; between front jaws with outer ring of small teeth, and 3 irregular rows of 3-4 large depressible canines; 3-11 short teeth on roof of mouth well behind the front tooth patch; lower jaw with outer row of small teeth and an inner row of ~5 large teeth on each side at front; gill opening a small slit at ~mid side; pores above & below eye, along lower jaw, before gill opening; dorsal & anal fins present as skin covered ridges near tip of tail.

Brown; with indistinct pale star-shaped mottling on body, mottling stronger on lower head and chin.

Reaches 29 cm.

Coral and rocky reefs.

Depth range: 1-230 m.

S Carolina to Brazil and the central Atlantic islands.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 29
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 230