Muraena augusti

A Muraena augusti can brush your teeth by a Cleaner Shrimp Atlantic White Band.

Muraena augusti (also Prince -August- moray eel or Black ) is a moray eel, which lives in subtropical regions of north-eastern Central Atlantic. By some authors, it is regarded as the Mediterranean moray ( Muraena helena ) conspecific, but morphological and molecular genetic studies point to the status as a separate species.

Features

Muraena augusti reach a length of about one meter and weighing up to 1.7 kilograms. They are purple - black with small, widely spaced bright spots on body and fins, and conspicuous white eyes. From the Mediterranean moray it differs not only colored by a longer snout and a lower number of vertebrae.

Dissemination

The species is endemic to the islands of Macaronesia.

Way of life

Muraena augusti colonized rocky and stony seabed from the shore to a depth of 250 meters, but mainly to 50 meters water depth. It is territorial and nocturnal. The breeding season is in the Canary Islands between May and October with August being the highlight. Sexual maturity is reached at about five years and 56 centimeters in length.