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Ribbon Eel
Rhinomuraena quaesita Garman, 1888
A male Ribbon Eel photographed at Sabah, March 2007. Photo © S. De Vos.
A juvenile Ribbon Eel photographed at Sabah, March 2007. Photo © S. De Vos
The Ribbon Eel can easily be recognised by its hugely expanded anterior nostrils.
Juveniles and subadults are jet black with a yellow dorsal fin. Females are yellow with a black anal fin and white margins on the fins. Adult males are blue with much of the snout and lower jaw yellow.
The species grows to 1.3 m in length.
It is usually seen in burrows in sandy or rubbly areas adjacent to coral reefs.
The Ribbon Eel occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-west Pacific.
In Australia it is known from the offshore islands of north-western Western Australia and the Barrier Reef, Queensland.
It has also been called the Ribbon Moray.
Related links
- View the eels list
- View the family Muraenidae list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Böhlke, E.B. & J.E. McCosker. 2001. The moray eels of Australia and New Zealand, with the description of two new species (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae). Records of the Australian Museum. 53(1): 71-102.
- Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. in Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
