Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Gymnothorax: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, thorax, -akos = breast (Ref. 45335); pseudomelanosomatus: Name from Greek 'pseudes' for false and 'melanosomatus', the name for the black body moray that it superficially resembles and has previously been identified as; noun in apposition.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range ? - 200 m (Ref. 106142). Subtropical
Distribution
Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Northwest Pacific: Taiwan.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 83.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 129614); 73.6 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 202 - 206. This species is distinguished by the following characters: elongate and unpatterned body and fins which is uniformly greyish brown; anus located just before mid-body, preanal length 2.0 in TL; head length 11.3 in TL; depth at gill opening 27.8 in TL; uniserial teeth, few, long and needle-like; mean vertebral formula 7-89-206 (Ref. 106142).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like; Cross section: oval.
The 73.6 cm TL female was gravid and distended with 1.0-1.2 millimeter eggs (Ref. 106142).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Loh, K.-H., K.-T. Shao, H.-S. Ho, P.-E. Lim and H.-M. Chen, 2015. A new species of moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from Taiwan, with comments on related elongate unpatterned species. Zootaxa 4060(1):30-40. (Ref. 106142)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
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