Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Gymnomuraena zebra (Shaw, 1797)

morena cebra, Zebra moray

Black to dark brown and purplish brown. Blunt head; pair of tubular nostrils above mouth. Lengths of at least 88.5 cm

Habitat: Around reef crevices

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Chordata

Class
Teleostei

Order
Anguilliformes

Family
Muraenidae

Genus
Gymnomuraena

Species
zebra

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Echidna zebra (Shaw, 1797), Gymnomuraena fasciata Kaup, 1856, 1797, Muraena molendinaris Bennett, 1833, Muraena zebra (Shaw, 1797), Poecilophis zebra (Shaw, 1797), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Distribution: Indo- West Pacific, Gulf of California to Panama, Southwest Gulf of California to Ecuador, in Galpagos and all the oceanic islands of the Eastern Pacific.

References

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
  • Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
  • Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.

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, Gymnomuraena zebra", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7636. Accessed 25 June 2025.