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Muraena helena Linnaeus, 1758

Mediterranean moray
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Muraena helena   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Muraena helena (Mediterranean moray)
Muraena helena
Picture by Patzner, R.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) > Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Muraena: Latin, muraena = morey eel (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Issue
Muraena augusti (Kaup, 1856) is considered as a valid species by Jiménez et al. (2007: Ref. 58348). Page to be created soon.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 801 m (Ref. 58348), usually 100 - 300 m (Ref. 58348). Subtropical; 52°N - 13°N, 32°W - 36°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: south of British Isles to Senegal, including the Mediterranean, Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 75.5, range 69 - ? cm
Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12382); common length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3397); max. published weight: 6.5 kg (Ref. 58348); max. reported age: 38 years (Ref. 58348)

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

A nocturnal and territorial species (Ref. 12382), commonly lurking in holes, and writhing snakelike through crevices, under rocks or corals. Feeds on fish, crabs and squid (Ref. 12382). It seldom attacks unless provoked (Ref. 3256). A gonochoristic species (Ref. 32169). Utilized fresh and eaten broiled, boiled and baked; the skin can be used for leather (Ref. 9987).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Migrate to offshore waters to spawn (Ref. 98745).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Smith, D.G. and E.B. Böhlke, 1990. Muraenidae. p. 136-148. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1. (Ref. 4450)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 18 August 2011

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Traumatogenic (Ref. 4690)





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Trophic ecology
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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 13.1 - 16.2, mean 14.4 °C (based on 181 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5010   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00056 (0.00048 - 0.00066), b=3.27 (3.23 - 3.31), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.2   ±0.61 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tmax=38.1; tm=7.1; K=0.078).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Very high vulnerability (79 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Moderate to high vulnerability (53 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Low.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 11.6 [5.8, 23.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.433 [0.231, 0.841] mg/100g; Protein = 19.3 [17.0, 21.8] %; Omega3 = 0.193 [0.077, 0.603] g/100g; Selenium = 40.8 [19.0, 84.1] μg/100g; VitaminA = 42.5 [12.0, 154.1] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.452 [0.295, 0.682] mg/100g (wet weight);