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.
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 every day 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. Click here to learn more
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 every day 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. Click here to learn more
