Spotted moray
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
As a spotted moray grows, the black spots on its body become smaller.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Spotted moray
- Scientific name
- Gymnothorax isingteena
- Japanese name
- ニセゴイシウツボ
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Muraenidae
- Genus
- Gymnothorax
A moray eel of shallow seas with coral reefs. It hides in rock crevices by day and is active at night.
It swims by wriggling its long body like a snake. It has long fins along its back and belly, but no pectoral or pelvic fins can be found.
It catches fish and crustaceans with its sharp teeth. It also has another set of jaws deep in its throat that pulls the prey down.
How the Spotted moray lives
It also lives on the outer slopes of coral reefs.
Museums VictoriaBasic data
- Size
- Total length: 2 m
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)
- Diet
- Fish and crustaceans
- Range
- Western Pacific
Where the Spotted moray has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ニセゴイシウツボ
- 简体中文
- 魔斑裸胸鳝
- 繁體中文
- 魔斑裸胸鯙
- 한국어
- 점박이곰치
- Español
- Morena leopardo
- Deutsch
- Jaguarmuräne
- Português (Brasil)
- Moréia-jaguar
- Italiano
- Murena leopardo
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — ニセゴイシウツボChecked: 2026-11-03
- 宇久井ビジターセンター — ニセゴイシウツボChecked: 2026-11-07
- Museums Victoria — Spotted Moray, Gymnothorax isingteenaChecked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Spotted moray, look for this
- You may see it sticking out from a coral outcrop.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
Museums VictoriaEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Spotted moray
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Muraenidae
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