Depth
Gymnothorax · Bony Fish

Brown Moray

Gymnothorax unicolor

5 - 80 m
Depth Range
100 cm
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
5 - 80 m
Depth Range
100 cm
Max Size
Rocky Reefs
Habitat
Predator
Diet
Solitary
Social
LC
IUCN Status
Moderate
Sighting Likelihood
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
GenusGymnothorax
Speciesunicolor

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationRobust, muscular moray with uniform dark brown to chocolate-brown colouration. Lacks the spotted or mottled pattern of the Mediterranean moray. Rounded snout and relatively small eyes.
  • SizeUp to 100 cm total length, commonly 50 to 80 cm.
  • Social HabitSolitary and strongly nocturnal. Hides in deep crevices and caves during the day.
  • HabitatRocky reefs, boulder fields, and walls with deep crevices. Prefers areas with extensive cave systems.
  • Depth5 to 200 m, most common between 10 and 80 m.
  • Feeds OnFish and cephalopods hunted at night using a well-developed sense of smell.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from the Azores and Madeira to the Canary Islands and throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
  • DescriptionLess well-known than its relative the Mediterranean moray, the brown moray is a more reclusive species that keeps to deeper, darker holes. It is almost exclusively nocturnal and is very rarely photographed in the wild.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found on rocky reefs, in caves, and around boulder fields from 5 to 80 m depth. Less common than the Mediterranean moray and tends to favour deeper rocky environments in the Mediterranean.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Rocky reefs with abundant caves, crevices, and overhangs. Prefers structurally complex habitats providing multiple shelter options. Often found in slightly deeper or darker environments than the Mediterranean moray.

Encounter Tips

Search inside caves, deep crevices, and under large overhangs on rocky reef walls. Often peers out from a dark shelter with just its head visible. Less commonly encountered than the Mediterranean moray.

Brown Moray species card

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Gymnothorax unicolor may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red ListLeast Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
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