The ribbon eel (''Rhinomuraena quaesita''), also known as the leaf-nosed moray eel or bernis eel, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

moray eel Moray eels, or Muraenidae (), are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are f ...

, the only member of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Rhinomuraena''. What is now known as ''R. quaesita'' also includes the former ''R. amboinensis''. ''R. quaesita'' was used for blue ribbon eels and ''R. amboinensis'' for black ribbon eels, but these are now recognized as the same species. The ribbon eel is found in lagoons and reefs in the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

ocean, ranging from East Africa to southern Japan, Australia and

French Polynesia )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...

. This species is widely distributed and is frequently seen by divers in Indonesian waters with their heads and anterior bodies protruding from crevices in sand and rubble habitats from very shallow to about 60 m. Although generally placed in the moray eel family

Muraenidae Moray eels, or Muraenidae (), are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are f ...

, it has several distinctive features leading some to place it in its own family, Rhinomuraenidae. The ribbon eel bears a resemblance to a mythical

Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon, also known as ''loong'', ''long'' or ''lung'', is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many Outline of life forms, animal-like forms such as Bixi (my ...

with a long, thin body and high

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

s. The ribbon eel can easily be recognised by its expanded anterior nostrils. They are well known for their characteristic jaws that are frequently opened very widely when a diver approaches Based on observed colour changes, it is generally considered a

protandric hermaphrodite In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have separ ...

(first male, then changing sex to female), although this has yet to be confirmed. Colour change related to sex change is not known from any other moray eel species. The presumed juveniles and subadults are jet black with a yellow dorsal fin, in adult males the black is replaced by blue, and adult females are entirely yellow or yellow with some blue to the posterior.Lieske, E., & Myers, R. (1999). ''Coral Reef Fishes''. The blue adult males range from in length, while the larger yellow females can reach up to . In captivity, the colour differences are not related to maturity or sex.

In the aquarium

Because most ribbon eels do not live longer than a month in captivity, some feel that this species should never be purchased except for people with experience in keeping morays in captivity. Ribbon eels have been observed in many cases to stop eating after being captured, although there are reports of them surviving and eating in captivity for two years or more. Higher levels of success have been achieved in

public aquaria A public aquarium (plural: ''public aquaria'' or ''public Water Zoo'') is the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, which houses living aquatic animal and plant specimens for public viewing. Most public aquariums feature tanks larger than those kept b ...

, where there are a few reported cases of

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquati ...

at facilities in Europe and North America. Although captured for the aquarium industry, it remains common and widespread, and is not considered threatened.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q917209 Muraenidae Fish described in 1888