Jewel Moray, Muraena lentiginosa
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa, Juvenile. Fish collected from under a rock out of a tidal pool, at Km 17, El Tule, Baja California Sur, February 2010. Length: 14.0 cm (5.5 inches).
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa, Juvenile. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Buena Vista, Baja California Sur, June 2017. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa. Fish caught from shore off Roca de Ian, Bahia de Los Muertos, Baja California Sur, January 2020. Length: 46 cm (18 inches). Catch courtesy of Christian Franck, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. Photograph courtesy of Brad Murakami, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa, Juvenile. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, October 2019. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa. Underwater photographs taken in coastal waters off Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, July 2023. Photograph courtesy of Kevin Erwin, Seattle, Washington.
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Point Palmilla, Baja California Sur, March 2006. Length: 25 cm (10 inches). Tail: 54%. Identification courtesy of Dr. Ross Robertson, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama.
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa. Fish caught from coastal waters off Point Palmilla, Baja California Sur, June 2018. Length: 45 cm (18 inches). Tail: 54%.
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, August 2019. Photographs courtesy of Maude Jette, Dive Zihuantanejo, www.Divezihuantanejo.com.
Jewel Moray, Muraena lentignosa. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, March and December 2018. Photographs courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo. In the photograph immediately above note the presence of the Palenose Moray Eel, Echidna nocturna.
The Jewel Moray, Muraena lentiginosa, is a member of the Moray and Snake Moray Eel or Muraenidae Family, and known in Mexico as morena pinta. Globally, there are nine members in the genus Muraena, of which four are found in Mexican waters, one in the Atlantic and three in the Pacific Ocean.
The Jewel Moray has an elongated muscular compressed body that tapers significantly posteriorly; their head has a depth of 13 to 15% of body length and their depth at mid-body is 8%. They are found in various shades of brown. Adult are covered with numerous small white circular spots; these spots are yellowish in juveniles. They have a small black spot covering their gill openings and a black spot at the corner of their mouth preceded by a white area on their lower jaw. Their head has a moderately-sized conical snout and a large mouth equipped with a single row of very sharp slender conical teeth on each jaw. Their dorsal fin is thick and fleshy and originates before the gill openings. Their tail is slightly longer than body length. They do not have pectoral or pelvic fins, gill covers or scales.
The Jewel Moray is found intertidally around rocky reefs at depths up to 27 m (90 feet). They reach a maximum length of 61 cm (2 feet 0 inches). As of January 1, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 0.45 kg (1 lb 0 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Puerto Vallarta in May 2013. They hide under the cover of rocky crevices during daylight hours. They are voracious nocturnal ambush predators at night, consuming small fish and invertebrates including crab, octopus, and shrimp. They open and close their mouth frequently, an action required for respiration. Reproduction is viviparous with eggs and sperm broadcast into the water generating pelagic eggs and larvae that drift in oceanic currents before settling out on the bottom.
In Mexican waters the Jewel Moray is a resident of all waters of the Pacific, with the exception that they are absent from the extreme northern portion of the Sea of Cortez and from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, northward along the central and northwest coasts of Baja.
The Jewel Moray can be confused with the Argus Moray, Muraena argus and the Hourglass Moray, Muraena clepsydra, both of which have a prominent black spot around their gill covers.
From a conservation perspective the Jewel Moray is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are very seldom, seen by humans. When encountered they are visually most intimidating but are very timid and not harmful and are only known to bite humans on rare occasions. They are caught on occasion by recreational anglers out of heavy rock structure and normally a “catch and release”. They are one of the smaller Morays and can be found in aquariums that are at least 50 gallons in size with water temperatures between 22oC (72oF) and 26oC (78oF) and have an abundance of structures for hiding. They are known to be superb escape artists, thus aquariums must be tightly sealed. They are reported to be easy to care for but are aggressive and will consume all crustaceans and fishes that are tank mates. They can be fed by hand but are known to “bite the hand that feeds them”. They can be purchased on the internet with prices ranging from $30 to $350 per fish depending on their size.