What Are You Afer?

The Dark Moray is only found on the west coast of Africa, from Mauritania in the north to Ghana in the south. We see very few fish from the eastern end of the Atlantic Ocean make it to the north American aquarium hobby and an even fewer number of these fish are eels. Gymnothorax afer, the scientific nomenclature for the Dark Moray, is somewhat unique in that this common name (or translations of it) is used almost universally around the world. Our favorite translation happens in French: Murène obscure. It has a few other common names, in other languages, but very few. Among these, “Cobra” is one they use in Angola that we like a lot.

Along the tropical West coast of Africa, the Dark Moray can be found in a variety of depths from just below the surface down to around 150 feet deep; most are caught from the shallower end of this range. They are usually associated with rocky, rubble and reef environments. Dark Morays are solitary, reclusive animals in the wild, hiding most of their bodies in caves, coming out only to ambush prey or at night to hunt. They have been caught in both full saline and brackish environments.

Adults grow to be around two feet long, though the longest specimen on record is just over 39 inches! This size gets them landed on dinner plates in their native range. While considered a food fish, their solitary nature, combined with the difficulty of catching one, limits their distribution as food to local markets. While juvenile animals are usually a rich, reddish brown color, adults gain a very cool, gold (sometimes white) splatter paint look over most of their bodies.

While Moral Eels don't require a ton of swimming space, this is still a big fish, and should have at least a 120 gallon aquarium. This is a great species for bare bottom tanks as they have little use for a sandbed, and they like big messy meals. What the aquarium lacks in substrate should be made up for in rocks. This fish will be happiest in environments that have a copious amount of hiding places. Take care to fasten rockwork together very securely as Gymnothorax afer is a very strong animal and will push rocks around; tumbling rock work may damage the eel, other inhabitants, or even the tank bottom. As with pretty much every fish that is eel-shaped, Dark Morays are escape artists, and so a very secure lid is a requirement.

Gymnothorax afer is a nocturnal fish in the wild, and will prefer subdued lighting in the home aquarium. They can be trained to be more active during the day, by planning feeding times for daylight hours. The more gentle the lighting, the easier this will be to achieve. They will appreciate reef salinity water, so you should shoot for specific gravity of around 1.025. As referenced, they are tropical fish, and any tank holding one should have a very stable temperature in the range of 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit. They are not excessively affected by nitrates, but aquarists should still try to keep nitrates as low as possible, under 20 ppm is a reasonable goal, lower would be better.

In regards to tank mates, Dark Morays are actually very peaceful fish. They won't bother anything they can't eat, conversely, they will try to eat anything that moves if it fits in their mouths. They are not usually listed as reef safe, but technically they are low risk with corals, polyps, and sponges etc. They are the proverbial bull in the china shop though, and will move rocks, and show no regard for a coral's space. In a reef tank, extra care should be put into solidifying rockwork, and corals should be chosen for impact resistance. Things like Zoanthids, Mushroom Corals, Tree Corals, Colt Corals, and Leather Corals would be perfect. As far as fish, choose large fish that are unlikely to become meals, even aggressive fish will usually leave Dark Morays alone.

If Eel keepers ever run into difficulty with Morays it is generally with getting them to eat initially. Morays should all be fed according to size. Very small ones need meals everyday and this tapers off to a couple times a week by the time they get to adult size, though the meals obviously get bigger. Gymnothorax afer is a carnivore, hunting small invertebrates and fish in the wild. In the aquarium hobbyists should do their best to mimic this diet. Silversides, Shrimp, and for smaller Eels, Krill from Gamma Foods are all great choices. If your specific moray doesn't want to come out and eat, try feeding it at night initially, and slowly change dinner time until you can feed them during the day. Some fish will need a feeding stick where you can attach a piece of food and give it some motion, which usually will help tempt the Moray into feeding. Live foods should be a last resort. Your Local Fish Store should be your first stop for clean live foods. Feeder shrimp and minnows are available at most stores. If you know anyone who has Mollies, they probably have extra and these can be acclimated to salt water fairly easily. Once you get your Eel feeding, stick to mostly frozen, nutrient dense foods, and use live foods only as a treat. Many, many people on the internet have trained their Eels to eat from their hands, this is always cool to see, but don't do it. Have a look in a Moray Eels mouth and notice the teeth if you need further convincing.

Dark Morays are beautiful AND rare. If you have always wanted an Eel, but want one that most other aquarium keepers don't have, Gymnothorax afer is a perfect choice. They stay aquarium appropriate sized, are gorgeously patterned, and very hardy once acclimated. If this sounds like your cup-o-tea, (most of us actually prefer coffee but whatever), contact your LFS and have them get you a sustainably sourced Dark Moray from Quality Marine Today!