Painted moray, Paintspotted moray, Peppered moray
Gymnothorax pictus, the painted moray, paintspotted moray or peppered moray, is a moray eel. The Chamorro name of the eel is títugi.
The species is pale with purplish speckles, which gather together with age. Young of the species have no spots or bars; they are pale purplish with white bellies. Its maximum length is 140 cm. The peppered moray eats small fish and crustaceans. G. pictus is similar to Gymnothorax griseus. While hunting for prey, they may be completely out of the water or may leap out of water. It is dangerous to eat because it is poisonous.
The peppered moray can commonly be found in tropical marine waters of the Indo-Pacific and from islands of the tropical Eastern Pacific. They can also be found in very shallow water on reef flats. Places where the species has been found include Suva Reef, the Fiji Islands, Clarion Island, and the Revillagigedo Islands.
