Species: Gymnothorax equatorialis, Equatorial moray, Spotted moray, Spotted-tail moray

Gymnothorax equatorialis (Hildebrand, 1946)

Equatorial moray, Spotted-tail moray, Spotted moray

Head blunt, rounded, snout short and blunt; front nostril tubular, rear nostril ~ flush with head profile; jaws closing completely when shut, not curved and elongate; 3 pores under eye; teeth enlarged, triangular, curved, with serrated rear edge, in a single row in each jaw; no teeth on roof of mouth, or a few inconspicuous teeth hidden by folds of skin; tail tapering and narrow; dorsal and anal fins very low, but forming distinct skin- covered ridges.

Brown, grading to light tan or whitish on ventral surface; head and body

covered with white spots, these very small on head, becoming larger to rear of body, those on tail very large, elongate and widely spaced.

Maximum length about 75 cm.

Habitat: soft bottoms.

Depth: 5-125 m.

The Gulf of California to Peru.

G. phalarus is similar, but has a thicker tail, and the spots on the tail are smaller than the eye and round.