Brown speckled eel
Species of fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gymnothorax steindachneri, the brown speckled eel, Steindachner's moray eel, or puhi in Hawaiian,[1][2] is a moray eel found in coral reefs in the eastern central Pacific Ocean, around Hawaii.[3] It was scientifically described by David Starr Jordan and Barton Warren Evermann in 1903.[3] This species is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is rare in shallow reefs around the main Hawaiian Islands but are commonly found in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands only ranging as far as south of Oʻahu. [4]
| Brown speckled eel | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Anguilliformes |
| Family: | Muraenidae |
| Genus: | Gymnothorax |
| Species: | G. steindachneri |
| Binomial name | |
| Gymnothorax steindachneri D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1903 | |
Description
Distribution and habitat
Diet and Behavior
Cultural Significance
Moray eels including the Steindachner's moray eels all play a role in oceanic life.[8] Due to morays being predatory fishes, they are part of the food web which means that they also help maintain the food web too.[8] This helps keep the ecosystem healthy and balanced.[8] Moray Eels such as Steindachner's Moray Eel are health indicators to the reefs, meaning that a reef is healthy if the Eels are also part of it.[8] Due to how these Eels are endemic to Hawaii, it’s important to keep this species alive and thriving for Hawaii’s unique marine diversity.[8][relevant?]
