Help with Moray ID

jumpfrog

Active Member
Picked up this moray this weekend. The pictures don't really do it justice, a beautiful fish. Can anyone help ID? The LFS didn't know and usually I don't buy without knowing more. But I was out of town and couldn't resist. Have back up plans if it won't work out in my aggressive tank. Still relatively small, ~ 12" or so.
 

polarpooch

Active Member
Because I cannot imagine an LFS that wouldn't know if was selling a Green Moray (though this does look lsimilar to an adolescent green), please answer some questions for us:
Is the eel green, or is it more of a brown/chestnut color?
What color are the eels eyes?
What did you pay for it (greens are typically sold at a premium price)?
If that turns out to be a green moray, try to trade it in. Greens get huge, are extremely aggressive and typically cannot be housed w/other fish or eels. Plus the damn things live forever and need huge habitats eventually.
But like I said, I think it's another kind of eel. See if you can snap another closer-up pic of its head and body.
 
you better keep a good eye on those, because if that is a green moray which it looks like it will eat your snowflake sooner or later garunteed
 

fshhub

Active Member

Originally posted by polarpooch
Because I cannot imagine an LFS that wouldn't know if was selling a Green Moray (though this does look lsimilar to an adolescent green), please answer some questions for us:

I can name several lfs's that sell things they do not have a clue what they are. I also know of alot of members here who have gotten steals from lfs's b/c the lfs thought they were selling something else. Why should a moray be any different?
 

stacyt

Active Member
I agree with fshhub. When I bought my jewled moray for $20, and I knew they wholesale anywhere from $30-$75, I knew I was getting a good deal. Of course they knew nothing about, they just kept calling it an assorted moray. Turned out he was just to aggressive, and I sold him to a freind.
 

fshhub

Active Member
my boss got a beautiful carpet anemone that way, for 20 bucks, it was about 10 inches when she picked him up
I do wish i could have talked her out of it( I don;t like keeping anemones), but the cost was more than a little low
he called it a pacific anemone and said if we wanted to know its scientific name we had to look it up.
I also had ot go get money back, bc 1 time when I was not there, another lfs, she bought a condi, which they sold as a seabae for 30$. No way a condi should cost 30 bucks. Arond here, for a seabae, that is about right.
 

marinerock

Member
HEY JUMP....
HOW ARE YA? HAVENT SEEN YA IN A WHILE....
IT LOOKS LIKE A GREEN MORAY TO ME ALSO, HOWEVER,
I CANT SEE A LFS NOT KNOWING THAT IT WAS A
GREEN....ANYHOW, NICE LOOKIN EEL.....GOOD LUCK WITH HIM...
HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH
YOU AND YOURS....
REGARDS...
MARINEROCK
 

polarpooch

Active Member
I can name several lfs's that sell things they do not have a clue what they are. I also know of alot of members here who have gotten steals from lfs's b/c the lfs thought they were selling something else. Why should a moray be any different?
I guess I should stand corrected. I've never had such an experience at my LFS around town. I just HOPE it's not a Green Moray.
I still say it's probably something else. Would like to see different pics and closeups. Mistaking a Green Moray for something else would top the list of goofy things I've heard about LFS. :)
 

fshhub

Active Member
hye, i cannot argue with that, a better pic or a littel more description never hurtsone bit at all, too many fish could be confused even by us, if we did not know better. those little details mean alot sometimes. dont they?
 

jumpfrog

Active Member
Thanks for everyone's replies. I have a lot of confidence in the LFS that sold this guy. In fact, it is the first time I ever heard the owner say "I don't know." I find a certain amount of confidence in a shop keeper who doesn't just BS when he doesn't know.
At any rate. I gave $35.00 for this guy. He's more of a chocholate brown with a white streak on each cheek. His eyes are brown, best I can tell.
He's not coming out a bunch at the moment. Understandable as he needs to find his "spot." I'll try to get a better picture. Here's another picture, not a well focused, that I enhanced with lighting and contrast. The green is more of a tint/shimmer than the core color. If that makes any sense.
(ROCK: Thanks doing great, been busy and haven't been surfing much. Hope all is well.)
 

georgeh

New Member
I have one that i bought at about 15 inches and it was brown like tha 2 weeks later it turned a beautiful green. i have it in a 180 gallon with a 30 inch testellata.
 

polarpooch

Active Member
Wow, it could really be a green moray. Greens are brown or black as juvis with white markings on their faces. I'll see if I can find a pic of a juvi green and see if we can't ID your eel through process of elimination!
 

jumpfrog

Active Member
This may be one for the ahhh s*&% category. I'd love to see that juvi pic. I guess if it is I got a good price, now to figure out my next step.
 

marinerock

Member
HEY JUMP....
GLAD TO HEAR ALL IS WELL....
I HAD A GREEN MORAY YEARS AGO....BEAUTIFUL FISH...
EXCEPT HE HAD VERY EXPENSIVE DINNERS LATE
AT NITE, WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT...
HE WAS REALLY BIG THOUGH WHEN I GOT HIM....
REGARDS....
MARINEROCK
 

grouperhead

Active Member
Hey Jump, could you get a teeth shot, or tell us what the teeth look like? Right now, I'm leaning towards Gymnothorax chilospilus check that out....Bo
 
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