Gymnothorax flavimarginatus

(Ruppell, 1830)

Yellowmargin Moray, Yellow-edged Moray

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea and South Africa eastward to Tuamotu and Austral Islands, north to Southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands, south to New Caledonia; and in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Costa Rica, Panama, and the Galapagos Islands.

Size: 50 inches (125 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits reef flats and protected shorelines at depths about 3 - 500 feet (1 – 150 m) and stays under rocks and/or in caves during daytime and hunts prey during evening hours when it feeds mainly on small fishes and crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, having an overall yellowish brown coloration with dark brown mottling and either a grey or dark brown head.

Best maintained in a dimly lit aquarium having live rock, hiding places/caves, and tankmates large enough not to be eaten.

As to diet, fresh fish and/or crustacean flesh impaled on a long feeding stick and waved near its head, which usually sticks out of a hiding area, will entice it to grab the food and should be offered twice weekly.

Taxonomy:

Order: Anguilliformes

Suborder: Muraenoidei

Family: Muraenidae

Subfamily: Muraeninae

Genus: Gymnothorax

FYI: Avoid hand feeding!

May be difficult to get feeding, if so, try feeding live ghost/grass shrimp and/or small crabs, e.g., fiddler crabs.

Aquarium must be covered, as they can get out of the aquarium through very small openings. Its an escape artist.

Rockwork in the aquarium should be quite stable, as they can undermine rock structures and cause their collapse.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Semi-aggressive

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Semi-aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 125 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5