Blue Ribbon Eel Care Guide
Rhinomuraena quaesita is an Indo-Pacific moray and protandric hermaphrodite that changes colour with sex; it is notoriously difficult to feed in captivity.
Overview
Rhinomuraena quaesita is a slender moray of the family Muraenidae, instantly recognisable by its ribbon-like body, expanded leaf-like nostrils and flared lower jaw. Colour tracks both age and sex: juveniles are jet black with a yellow dorsal fin, mature males show vivid blue with a yellow jaw, and females become almost entirely yellow. The species is a protandric hermaphrodite, with males reversing sex to become females.
Taxonomy
- Family: Muraenidae
- Genus: Rhinomuraena
- Scientific name: Rhinomuraena quaesita
- Order: Anguilliformes
Habitat
The species ranges across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to the Tuamotu Islands, north to southern Japan and south to New Caledonia and French Polynesia. It is a reef-associated, non-migratory fish of lagoon and seaward reefs, recorded from about 1 to 67 m depth. Individuals are secretive, typically buried in sand or rubble with only the head exposed.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 500 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C (75-81 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Salinity: SG 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness: 8-12 dKH
- Lifespan: up to ~20 years in the wild
- Substrate: deep sand bed for burrowing; a secure, escape-proof lid
Diet
In the wild Rhinomuraena quaesita is a piscivore that feeds on small fishes. This narrow diet underlies its poor captive survival: most specimens refuse food after capture, and many do not survive beyond a year in home aquaria. When feeding can be initiated, small meaty marine items are offered every two to three days.
Compatibility
The eel is peaceful but a bottom-dwelling predator. It is kept in fish-only systems, avoiding small fish that could be eaten and aggressive or competitive tankmates that may outcompete it for food. Stable, high water quality is essential.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2009). The species is taken by commercial fisheries and the marine aquarium trade.