Pale Moray, Echidna unicolor Schultz 1953


Other Names: Unicolor Moray

A Pale Moray, Echidna unicolor, from the Christmas Island in the Eastern Indian, Australian EEZ Ocean. Source: Gerald R. Allen / FishBase. License: All rights reserved

Summary:
Uniformly tan to light brown moray eel with a dark ring around the eye.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2022, Echidna unicolor in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1432

Pale Moray, Echidna unicolor Schultz 1953

More Info


Distribution

Rowley Shoals and Hibernia Reef, Western Australia, and Swain Reefs, Queensland; also  Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere the species occurs in the tropical, Indo-west-central Pacific: East Africa to the Line, Marquesan, and Society islands, north to the Marshall and Johnston islands.
Inhabits shallow lagoon reefs and drop-offs. On Christmas Island, the species was recorded from a submarine cave that was connected to the sea.

Etymology

The specific name bicolor is from the Latin bi- (= two) and color = (colour, hue), in reference to the dark olive-green to brown colour above and whitish colour below.

Species Citation

Echidna unicolor Schultz 1953, Bulletin of the United States National Museum 202(1): 106, figs 21d, 22. Type locality: Rongelap Atoll.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2022

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Pale Moray, Echidna unicolor Schultz 1953

References


Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91 

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp. 

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp. 

Allen, G.R. & Steene, R.C. 1988. Fishes of Christmas Island Indian Ocean. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 197 pp. 

Böhlke, E.B., McCosker, J.E. & Smith, D.G. 1999. Family Muraenidae. pp. 1643-1657 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 3 pp. 1397-2068. 

Böhlke, E.B. & McCosker, J.E. 2001. The moray eels of Australia and New Zealand, with the description of two new species (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae). Records of the Australian Museum 53: 71-102 figs 1-10 https://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.53.2001.1325

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S.J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Checklist and new records of Christmas Island fishes: the influence of isolation, biogeography and habitat availability on species abundance and community composition. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 184–202 See ref online

Hui, T.H., Maruse, T., Fujita, Y., Kiat, T.S. 2014. Observations on the fauna from submarine and associated anchialine caves in Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Territory, Australia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology , Supplement 30: 406-418. See ref online

Schultz, L.P. 1953. Family Muraenidae: moray eels. pp. 98-159, figs 21-33, pls 6, 11-16 in Schultz, L.P., Herald, E.S., Lachner, E.A., Welander, A.D. & Woods, L.P. (eds). Fishes of the Marshall and Marianas Islands. Vol. 1. Families Asymmetrontidae through Siganidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 202(1): 1-685, figs 1-90, pls 1-74 See ref at BHL

Smith, D.G., Tighe, K. & McCosker, J. 2019. Echidna unicolor. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T195686A2402588. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T195686A2402588.en. Accessed on 25 June 2022.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37060025

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:1-30 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:40 cm TL

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map