User:Sophie esq/Gymnothorax rueppelliae

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Gymnothorax rueppelliae, the banded moray, banded reef-eel, Rüppell's moray, Rüppell's moray eel, black barred eel, yellow-headed moray eel or yellow-headed moray, is a moray eel found in tropical coral reefs. Gymnothorax rueppelliae is a pale grey to greyish-brown moray with 16-21 dark bars on the body, a bright yellow head and a dark spot at the corner of the mouth. They differ from the Gymnothorax pikei, a close relative that lives Papua New Guinea. They have fewer vomerine teeth. They also reach a maximum length of 80 cm.

Classification:

Banded moray eels are in the scientific class Actinopterygii, belonging to the subclass Neopterygii, and the family Muraenidae. Actinopterygii are members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, a class of bony fish. They account for over 50% of living vertebrate species.

Distribution, Habitat & Diet[edit]
They can be found in lagoons and reefs from the Red Sea and East Africa to Hawaii, Tuamotu, the Marquesas Islands, North of the Ryukyu Islands and South of the Great Barrier Reef.

These eels are nocturnal and live at 1–40 m depth. They feed on fish, crabs, and shrimp.

Reproduction:
The life span of Gymnothorax rueppelliae is around 15 years. Banded moray eels are oviparous, with males and females releasing eggs and sperm into the water for fertilization. The eggs are then left to develop on their own. The eggs hatch into leptocephalus larvae, which float in the open ocean until they metamorphose into juveniles.

Human Use:
Gymnothorax rueppelliae, like many other species of moray eel, has been used by humans for both food and traditional medicine purposes. However, it's important to note that moray eels can contain a toxin called ciguatoxin that can cause food poisoning in humans if consumed in large quantities

Conservation Status
Gymnothorax rueppelliae is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species