Species: Gymnothorax conspersus, Saddled Moray

Gymnothorax conspersus Poey, 1867

Saddled Moray

Body elongate, compressed at rear; tail tapering head and trunk shorter than to slightly >1/2 TL; snout moderate and blunt; eye over middle of mouth; front nostril a simple tube; rear nostril a hole, with a raised rim, sometimes with small flaps, slits or frills, at level of profile of head; mouth short, lower jaw straight, closes completely; teeth large, triangular, compressed, serrated, no long canines, in single series on jaws; top front of mouth with 0 (0-1) central teeth and 4 teeth on each side, then 8-11 main jaw teeth on each side; back of roof of mouth with 0 (0-3) small, hidden teeth; lower jaw with 13-18 teeth on each side; 3 pores along top jaw; gill opening round; dorsal and anal fins covered with skin, but evident; dorsal fin origin on head, before gill opening.

Dark blackish-brown, paler on head, shading to darker on tail; head and trunk with scattered small white spots, those increasing in size and decreasing in abundance to rear, ending in 1 row of large, round spots at rear of tail; some fish with a row of larger spots along mid-body; dorsal fin black with regular white saddles along the entire fin; anal fin dark.

Reaches 110 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms.

Depth range: 20-804 m, usually below 200 m.

N Carolina to Brazil.