Video client: Patricia Martin Cabrera
Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the video channel)
The video was filmed in Damaniyat Island (Al Batinah region), Sultanate of Oman. The honeycomb moray eel, Gymnothorax favagineus shown in the video is a species of marine fish in the family Muraenidae and is one of the largest of Indo-Pacific morays and can grow up to 2-m length with a maximum length of about 3-m. The species which is also known as laced moray and leopard moray is a fearsome predator with powerful jaws.
Distribution and habitats: The honeycomb moray is widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific area from eastern coast of Africa, Red Sea included, until Papua New Guinea and from south Japan to the Great Barrier Reef. It lives on the outer slopes of coral reefs. During the day, it sits sheltered in crevices at depths between 1 and 45 meters.
The honeycomb moray is carnivorous; it leaves its lair at night to actively hunt its preys along the reef. It feeds mainly on small fish and cephalopods. Large adults are prone to be aggressive in the wild. As shown in the video, the honeycomb moray eel lays in wait for prey between the corals.
The blotches shown on the specimen’s body may vary in size and color, often in relation to the habitat in which the animals live; morays live in clear coral reefs usually have proportionally less black than those found in turbid environments.
