Photo copyright Tim Nicholson.
Taken in the Southern Egyptian Red Sea.
Giant Moray Eel, Gymnothorax javanicus (Bleeker)

This photo shows a Giant Moray being cleaned by wrasse. The small blue fish towards the bottom of the photo is a Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus. The black and white spotted fish is a juvenile Hogfish, Bodianux axillaris, which also sometimes serves as a cleaner. Watching the proceedings from under a ledge is a Squirrelfish, Sargocentron spiniferum.

This is the largest of the moray eels, growing up to 3 m. Quite common and always interesting to observe. Feeds primarily on fish, occasionally on crustaceans and octopus. Morays live in holes and generally hunt by night. You may see them rhythmically opening and closing their mouths. They do this to maintain a respiratory current past the gills. Morays undergo a sex change during growth, changing from male to female.

More Moray Eel Photos are in Room 2 of our gallery.

Further Reading:
Coral Reef Fishes, Indo-Pacific and Caribbean , by Ewald Lieske and Robert Myers
The Red Sea, by Andrea Ghisotti
Underwater Photographer , by Martin Edge