Species: Gymnothorax castaneus, Chestnut moray, Panamic green moray

Gymnothorax castaneus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883)

Panamic green moray, Chestnut moray

Robust; snout heavy and blunt; front nostril tubular, rear nostril with a raised rim, at level of top head profile; teeth conical, without serrations; top jaw with 1 row of teeth at side and three longitudinal rows of teeth at front; dorsal and anal fins developed as skin-covered ridges, but relatively tall and distinct; dorsal fin origin on top of head, well in front of gill opening.

Brown to brownish green, usually plain, but sometimes with a few white or yellow flecks, mostly on rear half of body, a few on dorsal fin. Juvenile  very dark to blackish, with a whitish border to the dorsal fin.

Size: attains 150 cm.

Habitat: mainly on rocky reefs, although juveniles also occur in mangrove areas.

Depth 1-35 m.

The Gulf of California to Ecuador.