Family : Muraenidae (Moray eels) , subfamily: Muraeninae
Order : Anguilliformes  (eels and morays)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Giant moray
Fish Name : Gymnothorax javanicus
Max size : 300 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 9710); max. published weight: 30.0 kg (Ref. 30404)
Environment : reef-associated ; depth range 0 - 50 m
Climate : tropical; 30°N - 25°S
Global Importance : fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience: Distribution: Distribution : Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa (Ref. 33390) to the Marquesas and Oeno Atoll (Pitcairn Group), north to the Ryukyu and Hawaiian islands, south to New Caledonia and the Austral Islands.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0. Juveniles are tan with numerous large black spots. Adults have black specks that grade into leopard-like spots behind the head and a black area surrounding the gill opening.
Biology : Found in lagoon and seaward reefs. Commonly seen species along deep drop-offs and slopes in Indonesian waters (Ref. 48635). Benthic (Ref. 58302). Juveniles more secretive and occur on intertidal reef flats (Ref. 37816). It feeds primarily on fishes and occasionally on crustaceans. This is the largest Indo-Pacific moray eel (Ref. 30404), perhaps reaching 3 m in length. Because of its position at the top of the reef's food chain it is often ciguatoxic. Attacks humans when provoked (Ref. 3132). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 10713
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : reports of ciguatera poisoning , Halstead, B.W., P.S. Auerbach and D.R. Campbell. 1990
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Chen, H.-M., K.-T. Shao and C.T. Chen. 1994. (Ref. 6934)

India country information
Common Names : കരിമലഞ്ഞി, കരിമാലാഞി , Karimalanhi
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses