Family : Muraenidae (Moray eels) , subfamily: Muraeninae
Order : Anguilliformes  (eels and morays)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Peppered moray
Fish Name : Gymnothorax pictus
Max size : 140 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 30573)
Environment : reef-associated ; depth range 5 - 100 m
Climate : tropical; 30°N - 26°S
Global Importance : fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience: Distribution: Distribution : Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific: East Africa (Ref. 26165) to the Galapagos, Cocos, and Clipperton islands, north to the Hawaiian and Ryukyu islands, south to Australia and the Kermadec Islands.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. Greyish and speckled with irregular, dark markings (Ref. 3257). Young yellowish with hollow-centered spots which becomes less conspicuous with age (Ref. 3257). Lacks the molariform teeth as well as the depressible vomerine fangs present in most Gymnothorax and have two rows of vomerine teeth (Ref. 37816).
Biology : Inhabits reef flats and rocky intertidal shorelines. Feeds on small fishes and crustaceans, sometimes leaving the water in pursuit of prey (Ref. 9710, 48635). Benthic (Ref. 58302). Caught with various nets (Ref. 30573)
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 : മാലഞി, മലഞ്ഞി, Giant moray, Malanhi, Veng
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses