Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anguilliformes (Eels and morays) >
Muraenidae (Moray eels) > Muraeninae
Etymology: Gymnothorax: Greek, gymnos = naked + Greek, thorax, -akos = breast (Ref. 45335); castlei: Named after Peter H.J. Castle, anguilliform expert..
More on authors: Böhlke & Randall.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 18 - 21 m (Ref. 35991). Tropical; 32°N - 26°S, 90°E - 174°W
Indo-West Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia, and on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 22.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 35991); 25.0 cm TL (female)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Vertebrae: 118 - 124. Moderately small species with uniform tan or brown coloration, marked with small black spots forming lines on head and a single row of spots and dashes along the lateral midline of the body and tail; body moderately elongate; anus well before midbody; head and jaws short; teeth numerous, short and rounded, maxillary and vomerine teeth biserial; MVF 5-48-120.
Minimum depth from Ref. 58018. Secretive in reef crevices, not usually seen in the open (Ref 90102).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Böhlke, E.B. and J.E. Randall, 1999. Gymnothorax castlei, a new species of Indo-Pacific moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae). Raffles Bull. Zool. 47(2):549-554. (Ref. 35991)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 26.3 - 29.1, mean 28.3 °C (based on 62 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00047 (0.00025 - 0.00089), b=3.28 (3.13 - 3.43), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.7 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (15 of 100).