Barred Moray

[Amon]

Last night when I was viewing my tank, I found a moray looking at me from a hole

The tank has been up for 4-5 months and this was the first time I saw it in the tank.

When I received my liverock, I found a nice looking striped worm from the bottom of the box. I thought it could be a moray, but didn't have any place to verify that. It was just a nice looking worm

Anyway, I wanted as much of biodiversity to my tank as possible so I threw it in.

Now that I have learned a bit about SW and know few places where to look for information, I was able to identify it as Barred moray (Echidna Polyzena).

This is a picture from fishbase.org, and the fish I have looks a lot like this:

But, it's very possible that I have identified the fish wrongly since all I have seen is a inch of his head and a half inch of his tail

Could it be that I have a very poisonous sea snake etc.? The rock is from Indonesia.

Fishbase.org says that Barred moray is harmles... but I suppose it's for humans

The eel is now about the size of my little finger. After it grows a bit more, I guess the green chromises that have taken residense in the eels rockpile are in danger. Propably I'll take him to LFS or try to set up a species tank for him.

Does any of you have anything about this fish? Will it always just hide in his hole? I guess that's what morays do?

Btw, How do you take an eel out of your tank?

With an inverted bottle?

 

[FMarini]

Hi:
you'll really need to get a better ID of this worm/eel. While anything is possible, the Echidna could be a longshot guess.
As you know echinda are invert eaters and prefer shrimp, crabs, for food. Do you notice this hitchhiker feeding at all?
As far as extracting it, you'l have to entice it out of the hole, and try to somehow rope it, or catch it w/ a net, or this magic bottle.
If it is a sea snake you should see it surface for air
frank

[ March 12, 2002: Message edited by: FMarini ]</p>

 

[Amon]

thanks.


Okay, if all snakes have to surface for air, it's not a snake (99.8% sure)

I know that he has eaten something, since he has doubled his size during the 5 months. I have quite many crabs, so there's something for it to eat but I think it has been mainly on a worm diet... (because there still is so many crabs

)

It's just so shy that it's quite hard to watch what he's doing. At least it reacts to flash light and hides. Maybe with a red light I would have a better luck. But, as I read again the description found at fishbase, he should be feeding during the day too..

I'll try to feed him something with a long stick and see if he accepts anything.

Last night when a threw some frozen food (I guess was tropic marine's Brineshrimp), I think the eel came from it's hiding place to feed, but the moment it saw me, it went back to it's hole... so I just saw a shadow of him (or it was just my imagination

I'll try to get a picture of him..

 

[Chucker]

Going out on a limb here.... Since you say you really haven't gotten a good look at it, are you sure it's a fish in the first place? Some peanut worms have the same color pattern, and rarely come out of the rock. While this isn't the best image, you'll understand why I ask the question....

If you always see it in the same exact spot, that would reinforce my worm theory. You shouldn't have too much trouble viewing it with a red light after your main lights are off. A definitive ID could be had if you see it roll and unroll like a sock in and out of its hole. Good luck!

 

[Amon]

Got those worms too, but definetially a fish. I saw his eye and mouth... Looked just like those FW fishes that swim on the bottom like snakes... Heh, I even saw a dream last night that I had all kinds of FW fishes coming from the rocks

 

[Amon]

More info,
This time a saw him in another hole. He's clearly hunting for food. I first spotted him 3 hours after the mh was turned off.
I spent half an hour looking at him. Most of the time he was just watching and threatening me... (it was like gasping with his mouth...).

Should morays have very visible teeth? I don't think that I saw any.

The fish was showing some interest to my yellow tang when the tang was hanging just outside of morays hole. It approached the tang, but didn't bite. My cleaner shrip is left alone too. (it had a missing tentacle a while ago...

)

 

[FMarini]

Amon:
if you are describing a Echidna, then no you won't see its teeth. These eels are considered "pebbled-toothed" eels. The have a series of rounded pebble-like projections that run along the top and bottom of their jaws. Remember their teeth are used to crush invert shells, not grab, tear, and rip. The row of teeth are quite hidden, in comparison to a dragon eel or any of the "fang toothed" eels. So i wouldn't expect to see teeth unless you get a great view of its mouth.
W/ my zebras the only time i see their "teeth" is when they have pressed themselves to the glass looking for food.
frank

[ March 14, 2002: Message edited by: FMarini ]</p>

 

[Amon]

OK, thanks Chucker & FMarini,
I'm quite happy with this id. 99,7% sure that he's a barred moray.

It's quite surprising how many rock boring clams & other crabs I have... Fits to picture that Echida would like to hang around rocks filled with food.

But, thanks again.