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Abbott's Moray
Gymnothorax eurostus (Abbot, 1861)

An Abbott's Moray at a depth of 7m Halifax Park, Nelson Bay, New South Wales, December 2003. View larger image. Note that this fish was photographed well south of the recorded distribution of this species.

An Abbott's Moray at a depth of 12m North West Solitary Island, January 2001. View larger image.

An Abbott's Moray at a depth of 12m North Solitary Island, January 2001. View larger image.

Abbott's Moray is brown with yellow and black spots. Its colour is darker and there are more spots posteriorly. The tail is edged in white.

This species grows to around 50cm in length.

It is known from numerous marine locations in the Indo-Pacific.

In Australia it occurs from the central coast of Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the northern coast of New South Wales.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Further reading

1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
2. Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
3. Böhlke, E.B. & J.E. McCosker. 2001. The moray eels of Australia and New Zealand, with the description of two new species (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae). Records of the Australian Museum. 53(1): 71-102.
4. Coleman, N. 1981. Australian Sea Fishes North of 30^oS. Doubleday. Pp. 297.
5. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
6. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.