Latin Etymology: Muraena ("moray") helena (?)
Young Mediteranean Moray (Muraena helena) at Syracuse, Sicily, Italy - May 2018
Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 15kg / Length: 1.5m
IUCN Red List: Least Concern
A large distinctive eel found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. This particular individual was a pure fluke to chance upon - I found it in a small tidal rockpool trying unsuccessfully to attack a pair of large crabs. This is very much a small specimen, and when older it will be a substtantial predator capable of taking large prey and with a powerful enough bite to cause some significant damage to humans. The species was long regarded as a delicacy by the Romans and farmed in ponds and aquariums.
Related Species:
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Muraenidae
Genus: Muraena
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic
- Sighting Locations -
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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