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Oops, I think I got a yellow-edged moray - Gymnothorax flavimarginatus

3K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Fishman216 
#1 ·
At a memorial day event at the only LFS I will buy livestock from they had a "green-edged moray eel". I have had only the snowflake I've had for going on two years now and know many of the more common species but was unfamiliar with this one. Approximately 8 inches and black with light mottled orange/brown spotting, an almost florescent yellow edge to its fins, and rather large fangs. The owner (whom I do trust and is the sort of guy who refuses sales to people whom can't/are not set up for what they're trying to buy) said in his 30+ years in this business he'd never seen one of these and his vender sent it as "assorted moray". He thought it may be a smaller moray but being a fang-toothed he said he wasn't sure. They had it for the past two months and were selling it for for quite cheap and irresponsibly I went against my #1 rule of never buying anything I don't know much about (everything in both of my two tanks were carefully picked and qt-ed). It's in a sealed 20g at the moment and actually ate almost a whole shrimp yesterday and seems to be doing well in hiding amongst rocks. I went through my books and finally found description of said eel and I am 90% sure that its a yellow-edged/yellow-margined moray. I am prepared to try and in time dedicate a set up just for it but out of the information I can find, very little seems to be out there in terms of behavior, good tank-mates, and of all things; max size and tank requirements. I find some sites/books say they reach as short as 34" and some say as large as 96". The lfs owner even contacted his distributor for me but they're not sure even where it was from (although he said a lot of his stock from them is indo-pacific). Also I am not as familiar with the larger fanged morays growth rate and if it'd be okay in 75g for a while with a quite docile 22-24" snowflake, 1-spot foxface, gold midas, large false percula, cleaner wrasse, and banggai cardinal or if I ought to outright set up something for him alone. I have two spare 50gals and a 55 which I have equipment for and could have up and running after a cycle. Just looking for thoughts and ideas if it is in fact a gymnothorax flavimarginatus on what I just bit into.
 

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#2 ·
Well let me start by saying that is not a yellow edge moray.. Have you looked at pictures and descriptions of them? They are typically yellowish with dark brown spots, the front of their head is purplish grey, posterior margins of fins yellow-green and gill opening in a black blotch. Juveniles are sometimes bright yellow with brown blotches. That eel looks solid black with a yellow tip dorsal fin. Unless I am seeing it the wrong color in the picture.

Does it have a hook jaw? I really can't tell. And you say it's fanged, but does it have the large glass looking teeth or just normal teeth? In the first picture it looks like a hookjaw but in the second its clearly not. Is that the same eel in both pictures??
 
#3 ·
I think maybe your monitor coloring is a little off hibby - the second pic exactly what you described. I think you're correct Starwind, it looks like a gold edged moray to me as well. The only thing I found regarding size was a guy that bought one at about a foot and it doubled that in 4 months. After a year he decided it was too big for his 100g (not sure if this was at the 2ft mark or if it had grown more at that point though).
 
#4 ·
Yes, both pictures are the same eel. One is a picture of it in the store and the other home and close up. Markings are difficult to see in the first pic due to lighting but as for its current appearance, it seems they change a lot as they grow.

Between my copy of Reef Fishes Vol 1 describing juveniles with a green/yellow edge to their finds and the juvenile picture on this link I am pretty sure thats what this is. http://www.marinelifephotography.com/fishes/eels/gymnothorax-flavimarginatus.htm

UGH, that's way faster than I expected, I know someone with a tessalated moray and it did double in length in this past 3 years but even now its only 20 inches. I am so unsure of max size/tank size with this guy because 210 I can do but some books/sources say 300g min yet 4 others said 120-180g min. I am not sure on this but I am wondering if the contradictory sizes I am finding is a regional thing where some reach larger sizes than others depending on where they're from because its not that usual when finding information off the scientific name for it to vary so much.
 
#5 ·
I know this is a old post but does anyone have any hands on experience with these eels (Gymnothorax flavimarginatus)?

I also received this eel by accident from a online seller( Who wont take it back). I currently have him in a 90 gallon by itself but need to make room for a JDME coming soon. On that same note has anyone kept a single Dragon Moray in a 90 gallon FOWLR?
 
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