Echidna nebulosa

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Muraenidae

Worldwide in tropical and temperate seas . Diverse group of eels with large mouths with numerous teeth; often with fanglike (canine) teeth. Dorsal fin origin usually before the gill openings; median fins confluent with caudal fin; no pelvic and pectoral fins. Gill openings as small roundish lateral openings. Head with 1-3 lateral line pores; absent on body. Scaleless . Recorded maximum length 3.0 m. Some morays cause ciguatera fish poisoning . A skin toxin was noted in an Indo-Pacific moray eel. Adults benthic , generally in shallow water among rocks and coral heads; many species are more active at night and hide in holes and crevices during the day. Vicious reputation is undeserved, although some species will bite if provoked. Feed mainly on crustaceans, cephalopods and small fishes . Larvae (leptocephali) epipelagic, widespread and abundant. Widely used as food, but a few large species may be ciguatoxic. Generally hardy in captivity.The family Muraenidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Anguilliformes. It contains 15 genera and 200 species. It may be found in Marine , Brackish , and Freshwater environments and is primarily Marine. Some members of this family are used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is anguilliform . Members of this family have been dated back to the Miocene epoch of the Tertiary period. Etymology of this family name : Latin, muraena = morey eel

Physical Description

Habitat

Found between rocks and corals of intertidal reef flats , also in shallow lagoon and seaward reefs to depths of at least 10 m. May be found at depths of 2 to 30 meters.

Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -6,737 meters (0 to -22,103 feet).[1]

Biome: Saltwater . Reef-associated .

Biology

Diet

Feeds mainly on crustaceans.

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Echidna variegata Bleeker, 1864
2. Gymnothorax boschi (Bleeker, 1853)
3. Gymnothorax boschii (Bleeker, 1853)
4. Lycodontis boschi (Bleeker, 1853)
5. Muraena boschii Bleeker, 1853
6. Muraena nebulosa Ahl, 1789
7. Muraena ophis Rüppell, 1830
8. Poecilophis nebulosa (Ahl, 1789)

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

Members of the genus Echidna

There are approximately 42 species in this genus:

E. amblyodon · E. arietans · E. atropos · E. catanata · E. catenata (Little Banded Eel) · E. catenata flavofasciata · E. caterata · E. chionostigma · E. cocosa · E. delicatula (Fine-Speckled Moray) · Austrolimnophila echidna echidna · Gymnothorax undulatus · E. flavofasciata · E. catenata · E. fuscomaculata · E. gabonica · E. grisea · E. hystrix · E. inornata · E. kishinouyei · E. leihala · E. leucotaenia (White-Banded Moray Eel) · E. mauritanica · E. nasicornis · E. nebulosa (Bosch´ Moray Eel) · E. nocturna (Freckled Moray) · E. obscura · E. peli (Pebbletooth Moray) · E. polyzona (Many Banded Moray Eel) · E. psalion · E. rhinoceros · E. rhodochilus (Pink-Lipped Moray Eel) · E. sauvagei · E. scabra · E. trossula · E. unicolor (Unicolor Moray) · E. uniformis · E. variegata · E. vincta · E. xanthospilos · E. zonata · E. zonophaea

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Allen, G.R. and R.C. Steene (1988). Fishes of Christmas Island Indian Ocean. Christmas Island Natural History Association, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, 6798, Australia. 197 p.
• Allen, G.R. and W.F. Smith-Vaniz (1994). Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Res. Bull. 412:21 p.
• Andrew K. Townesmith, ITIS Data Development Technician: Nelson et al. (2004) Occurrence values: PM
• Annual report of the Commissioner of Fisheries to the Secretary of Commerce for the fiscal year ended Washington: G.P.O., 1914- ENG url p. 94.
• Anon. (1999). Fish collection database of the National Museums of Kenya. National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi, Kenya
• B and amp;ouml;hlke, E. B., J. E. B and amp;ouml;hlke, M. M. Leiby, J. E. McCosker, et al. / B and amp;ouml;hlke, Eugenia B., ed. 1989. Orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic, no. 1, pt. 9, vol. 1. Sears Foundation for Marine Research, Yale University. New Haven, Connecticut, USA. xvii + 1-656. ISBN: 0-935868-45-3.
• B and amp;ouml;hlke, E. B., J. E. McCosker, and D. G. Smith / Carpenter, Kent E., and Volker H. Niem, eds. 1999. Muraenidae: Morays. FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes: The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific, vol. 3: Batoid fishes, chimaeras and Bony fishes, part 1 (Elopidae to Linophrynidae). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, Italy. 1643-1657. ISBN: 92-5-104302-7.
• B and amp;ouml;hlke, Eugenia B., John E. McCosker, and James E. B and amp;ouml;hlke / B and amp;ouml;hlke, James E., ed. 1989. Orders Anguilliformes and Saccopharyngiformes. Volume Two: Leptocephali. Fishes of the Western North Atlantic, no. 1, pt. 9, vol. 1. Allen Press, Inc. Lawrence, Kansas, USA. 104-206. ISBN: 0-935868-45-3.
• Bianchi, G. (1985). FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the commercial marine and brackish-water species of Tanzania. Prepared and published with the support of TCP/URT/4406 and FAO (FIRM) Regular Programme. FAO, Rom
• Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. ENG url p. 100, p. 101, p. 104, p. 20, p. 21.
• Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: BM(NH) url p. 160, p. 213, p. 223, p. 63.
• Castle, P.H.J. (1984). Muraenidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 51). Volume. 1. FAO, Rome.
• Castle, P.H.J. and J.E. McCosker (1986). Muraenidae. p. 165-176. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
• Charter, S.R. and H.G. Moser (1996). Muraenidae: morays. p. 88-91. In H.G. Moser (ed.) The early stages of fishes in the California Current region. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Atlas No. 33. 1505 p.
• Chen, H.-M., K.-T. Shao and C.T. Chen (1994). A review of the muraenid eels (Family Muraenidae) from Taiwan with descriptions of twelve new records. Zool. Stud. 33(1):44-64.
• Eschmeyer, William N., ed. 1998. Catalog of Fishes. Special Publication of the Center for Biodiversity Research and Information, no. 1, vol 1-3. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, California, USA. 2905. ISBN: 0-940228-47-5.
• Fischer, W., I. Sousa, C. Silva, A. de Freitas, J.M. Poutiers, W. Schneider, T.C. Borges, J.P. Feral and A. Massinga (1990). Fichas FAO de identifica and amp;ccedil;ao de esp and amp;eacute;cies para actividades de pesca. Guia de campo das esp and amp;eacute;cies comerciais marinhas e de and amp;aacute;guas salob
• Fishes of the Crane Pacific expedition, by Albert W. Herre. Chicago, 1936. ENG url p. 16, p. 18, p. 41.
• Francis, M. P. (1993). Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, Southwest Pacific Ocean. Pac. Sci. 47(2):136-170.
• Francis, M.P. (1991). Additions to the fish faunas of Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec Islands, Southwest Pacific Ocean. Pac. Sci. 45(2):204-220.
• Fricke, R. (1999). Fishes of the Mascarene Islands (R and amp;eacute;union, Mauritius, Rodriguez): an annotated checklist, with descriptions of new species. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, Theses Zoologicae, Vol. 31: 759 p.
• Hawaiian fishes; a handbook of the fishes found among the islands of the central Pacific ocean, by Spencer Wilkie Tinker illustrated by Gordon S. C. Chun and Y. Oda. Honolulu, Hawaii, Tongg publishing company, 1944. ENG url p. 391, p. 62.
• Herre, A.W.C.T. (1953). Check list of Philippine fishes. Res. Rep. U.S. Fish Wild. Serv., (20):977 p.
• Jonklaas, R. (1975). Collecting marine tropicals. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, USA. 224 p.
• Kailola, P.J. (1987). The fishes of Papua New Guinea. A revised and annotated checklist. Vol. 1. Myxinidae to Synbranchidae. Research Bulletin No. 41. Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. 194 p.
• Kapoor, D., R. Dayal and A.G. Ponniah (2002). Fish biodiversity of India. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, India.775 p.
• Kuiter, R. H. (1992). Tropical reef-fishes of the western Pacific Indonesia and adjacent waters. Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta. 314 p.
• Kuiter, R. H. and Tonozuka (2001). Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 1. Eels- Snappers, Muraenidae - Lutjanidae. Zoonetics, Australia. 302 p.
• Kuiter, R.H. (1998). Photo guide to fishes of the Maldives Atoll Editions, Victoria, Australia. 257 pp.
• Masuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino (1984). The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Vol. 1 (text). Tokai University Press, Tokyo, Japan. 437 p. (text), 370 pls.
• McCormack, G. (2000). Cook Islands biodiversity and natural heritage database. Sent by Gerald McCormack as RTF document in May 2000 for use in FishBase.
• McCosker, J.E. and R.H. Rosenblatt (1995). Muraenidae. Morenas. p. 1303-1315. In W. Fischer, F. Krupp, W. Schneider, C. Sommer, K.E. Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) Guia FAO para Identification de Especies para lo Fines de la Pesca. Pacifico Centro-Orien
• Miyasaka, A. (1993). A database on scientific and common names of fishes exported from Hawaii. The information was derived from the above mentioned database. A printout of the names is also available from the State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Myers, R.F. (1991). Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p.
• Myers, R.F. (1999). Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
• NOAA technical report NMFS SSRF. Seattle, Wash.: National Marine Fisheries Service; ENG url p. 5.
• Nelson, Joseph S., Edwin J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-P and amp;eacute;rez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, et al., eds. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Sixth Edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication, no. 29. American Fisheries Society. Bethesda, Maryland, USA. ix + 386. ISBN: 1-888569-61-1.
• Nguyen Huu Phung and Nguyen Nhat Thi (1994). Checklist of marine fishes in Vietnam. Vol. 2. Osteichthyes, from Elopiformes to Mugiliformes. Science and Technics Publishing House, Vietnam.
• Ni, I-H and K-Y Kwok (1999). Marine fish fauna in Hong Kong waters. Zool. Stud. 38(2):130-152.
• Occasional papers of Bernice P. Bishop Museum. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press, 1898-84. ENG url p. 18, p. 19.
• Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. [Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia] ENG url p. 30, p. 32.
• Randall, J.E. (1995). Coastal fishes of Oman. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 439 p.
• Randall, J.E. (1997). Randall's tank photos. Collection of 10, 000 large-format photos (slides) of dead fishes. Unpublished.
• Randall, J.E. (1997). Randall's underwater photos. Collection of over 2, 000 underwater photos (slides). Unpublished.
• Randall, J.E. and C. Anderson (1993). Annotated checklist of the epipelagic and shore fishes of the Maldives Islands. Ichthyol. Bull. of the J.L.B. Smith Inst. of Ichthyol. 59:47.
• Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990). Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
• Randall, J.E., H. Ida, K. Kato, R.L. Pyle and J.L. Earle (1997). Annotated checklist of inshore fishes of the Ogasawara Islands. Nat. Sci. Mus. Monogr. (11):1-74.
• Robertson, D.R. and G.R. Allen. 2002. Shorefishes of the Tropical Eastern Pacific: an Information System. CD-ROM. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama.
• Shiino, Sueo M. 1976. List of Common Names of Fishes of the World, Those Prevailing among English-speaking Nations. Science Report of Shima Marineland, no. 4. Shima Marineland. Kashikojima, Shima, Mie, Japan. 262.
• Sommer, C., W. Schneider and J.-M. Poutiers (1996). FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of Somalia. FAO, Rome. 376 p.
• Tettelbach, S., J. Carroll and H. Reisman (2003). Fishes of Vanuatu. Report of the Tropical Marine Biology group, Southampton College of Long Island University, Southampton, New York.
• U Hla Win (1987). Checklist of fishes of Burma. Ministry of Livestock Breeding and Fisheries, Department of Fisheries, Burma.
• Wass, R. C. (1984). An annotated checklist of the fishes of Samoa. Natl. Ocean. Atmos. Adminis. Tech. Rept., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Spec. Sci. Rept. Fish. (781).
• Winterbottom, R. and R.C. Anderson (1997). A revised checklist of the epipelagic and shore fishes of the Chagos Archipelago, Central Indian Ocean. Ichthyol. Bull. Smith. Inst. (66):1-28.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed October 3, 2006.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed December 15, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 01, 2008:

• Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum: Bishop Museum Natural History Specimen Data
• FishBase: FishBase DiGIR Provider - Philippine Server
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: AIMS - Baited Remote Underwater Video Station (OBIS Australia)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Bishop Museum Data (OBIS distribution) (USOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: iziko South African Museum - Fish Collection
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity - Fish Collection (AfrOBIS)
• Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History: Vertebrate specimens
• Museum national d'histoire naturelle: Ichtyologie
• Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University: MCZ Fish Collection
• National Chemical Laboratory: IndOBIS, Indian Ocean Node of OBIS
• OZCAM (Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums) Provider: Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums
• Royal Ontario Museum: Fish specimens
• Senckenberg: Collection Pisces
• University of Kansas Biodiversity Research Center: Fish Collection

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3856495
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Fis-25596
• Fishbase Species ID: 5388
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13275446
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 161176
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 109618

Footnotes

1. Mean = -1,731.130 meters (-5,679.560 feet), Standard Deviation = 1,520.510 based on 207 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

©2004-2009 the BayScience Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.