Oops, I think I got a Gymnothorax flavimarginatus

Starwind · May 27, 2015

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". They had it for the past two months and were selling it for $90 but was 30% off and went against my #1 rule of never buying anything I don't know much about (everything in both of my two tanks, 75g and 210g were carefully picked and qt-ed). Any who I purchased its in a sealed 20g at the moment and actually ate almost a whole shrimp yesterday. 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 to it but out of the information I can find, very little seems to be out there in behavior, tankmates, and of all things, max size and tank requirements. I find some sites/books say as short as 34" and some say as large as 96". 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 bangai 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.

Shep · May 28, 2015

So it does look like a Gymnothorax flavimarginatus but a young one, looking at pictures of them, they seem to lose the yellow edge and get more speckled as they get bigger/older. http://reefguide.org/yellowmarginmoray.html http://www.marinelifephotography.com/fishes/eels/gymnothorax-flavimarginatus.htm (the bottom of this one has a picture of a juvenile and it looks identical to yours) They can get anywhere for 3-5 feet, so having 55g just for it would be a good idea, it does not look like there is a lot of information about them in reef tanks, so it would be better safe than sorry. If you have anything smaller you could keep it in there until you learn more about it. http://www.waikikiaquarium.org/experience/animal-guide/fishes/eels/yellow-margin-moray/

Starwind · May 28, 2015

Yeah, the link of the juvenile one is what convinced me that's what I got. Seems calm all except if you put food in front of it. Voracious would be a word I'd use. My snowflake gently tugs food away while this grabs, tears and looks like its trying to murder each bite. Its first meal shocked me in that it ate a whole 2.5-3" frozen shrimp I fed to it in pieces which is the same amount of food as my 22" snowflake has 2-3 times a week. I'm hoping it does't exceed 4-5' since I don't know what size (non-custom) tank would house it and a large number of sources say around 4' feet (but an equal amount say 6+ as well). I deserve this here since buying something not knowing comparability and even the genus was stupid on my part (excitement over something unique and different). A very good aquatic store with a couple people with over a decades experience didn't identify it even so that should have been a red flag. I am none the less excited about this likely challenging endeavour (planned on going for one of the larger morays eventually anyway) I know a decent amount on the bigger morays and am guessing it can't be too different from most other gymnothorax (such as favagineus) hopefully so I'll work around it like any of the other fish eating fang toothed morays. I just hope my Keeping Moray Eels in Aquariums book is wrong on the max captive size (72 inches and recommends 300-500gal tanks for it).

Shep · May 28, 2015

Well keep us updated! You are at least attempting to right your wrong and doing a lot of research but be prepared to either get a very large tank or rehome it if it gets to the 6+ range