Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Gymnothorax: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, thorax, -akos = breast (Ref. 45335); taiwanensis: Named for its type locality, Taiwan.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 30 m (Ref. 79874). Subtropical
Northwest Pacific: Taiwan.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 53.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 121652); 53.9 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 262.00 g (Ref. 121652)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 117 - 121. This moderately sized moray is distinguished by having the anus behind the mid-body; short jaws; stout teeth, with vomerine teeth biserial; body color brownish with pale thin reticular pattern; when fresh with yellowish mucus on skin surface; darkish tips or rims on nostrils; orange irises; mean vertebral formula 5-55-119 (Ref. 79874).
Body shape (shape guide): eel-like.
Occurs in shallow reef and rocky shorelines, benthic. Feeds mainly on crustaceans and small fishes. All female specimens were found with ripe ovaries with ova measuring about 0.8-1.0 mm in diameter. Spawning apparently occurs near or from July- August (Ref. 79874).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Chen, H-M., K-H. Loh and K-T. Shao, 2008. A new species of moray eel, Gymnothorax taiwanensis, (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from Eastern Taiwan. The Raffles Bull. Zool. 19:131-134. (Ref. 79874)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 24.5 - 27.5, mean 25.9 °C (based on 144 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00052 (0.00035 - 0.00079), b=3.28 (3.16 - 3.40), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.9 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100).
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