Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Uropterygius macrocephalus
morena cabezona, morena cabeza grande, Longhead moray, largehead moray
Size: Rarely exceeds lengths of 40 cm.
Habitat: Among rocks and crevices and in reefs habitats. Common in shallow waters, usually in depths less then 10 m.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Anguilliformes
Suborder
Muraenoidei
Family
Muraenidae
Genus
Uropterygius
Species
macrocephalus
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Anarchias knighti Jordan & Starck, 1906, Gymnomuraena macrocephalus Bleeker, 1864, Gymnomuraena nectura Jordan & Gilbert, 1882, Uropterygius knighti (Jordan & Starck, 1906), Uropterygius necturus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882), Uropterygius reidi Schultz, 1943, fide Appeltans et al. (2010)
Origin: Native
Distribution: Widespread in the weastern and central Pacific, in the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Panama, also Cocos, Isla del Cano, Revillagigedos, Tres Marias and Galapagos
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2023) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2 Https://www.iucnredlist.org
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Uropterygius macrocephalus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=11586. Accessed 31 October 2026.