Muraena is a genus of eleven species of large eels in the family Muraenidae. Suborders Anguilloidei Nemichthyoidei Congroidei Synaphobranchoidei See text for families. ... Genera See text Moray eels are large cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. ...

This genus is common in the Mediterranean, and highly esteemed by the ancient Romans. It is abundantly represented in tropical and subtropical seas, especially in rocky parts or on coral reefs. In the majority, a long fin runs from the head along the back, round the tail to the vent, but all are destitute of pectoral and ventral fins. The skin is scaleless and smooth, in many species ornamented with varied and bright colours, so that these fishes are frequently mistaken for snakes. The mouth is wide, the jaws strong and armed with formidable, generally sharply pointed, teeth, which enable the Muraena not only to seize its prey (which chiefly consists of other fishes) but also to inflict serious, and sometimes dangerous, wounds on its enemies. It attacks persons who approach its places of concealment in shallow water, and is feared by fishermen. The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... History - Ancient history - Ancient Rome This is a List of Ancient Rome-related topics, that aims to include aspects of both the Ancient Roman Republic and Roman Empire. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ... Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ...

Some of the tropical Muraenas exceed a length of 10 feet (3 m), but most of the species, among them the Mediterranean moray, attain to only half that length. The latter, the "morena" of the Italians and the Muraena helena of ichthyologists, was considered by the ancient Romans to be one of the greatest delicacies, and was kept in large ponds and aquaria. It is not confined to the coasts of southern Europe, but is spread over the Indian Ocean, and is not uncommon on the coasts of Australia. Its body is generally of a rich brown, marked with large yellowish spots, each of which contains smaller brown spots. Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. ... For other uses, see Aquarium (disambiguation). ... European redirects here. ...

Species

• Muraena appendiculata Guichenot, 1848.
• White-spotted moray, Muraena argus (Steindachner, 1870).
• Muraena australiae Richardson, 1848.
• Hourglass moray, Muraena clepsydra Gilbert, 1898.
• Mediterranean moray, Muraena helena Linnaeus, 1758.
• Muraena insularum Jordan & Davis, 1891.
• Jewel moray, Muraena lentiginosa Jenyns, 1842.
• Honeycomb moray, Muraena melanotis (Kaup, 1860).
• Whitespot moray, Muraena pavonina Richardson, 1845.
• Reticulate moray, Muraena retifera Goode & Bean, 1882.
• Stout moray, Muraena robusta Osório, 1911.

Franz Steindachner (November 11, 1834 - December 10, 1919) was an Austrian zoologist. ... Sir John Richardson (1787 - 1865) was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer. ... Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[1] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Johann Jakob Kaup (April 10, 1803 - July 4, 1873) was a German naturalist. ...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• "Muraena". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.