Spotted Moray

Photo: Andrew McKinlay · CC BY

Spotted morays are common residents of the spur-and-groove system, draping their thick-bodied forms from coral crevices and grooves throughout the reef. At Jardines del Norte they are particularly abundant in the mid-reef zone where the grooves accumulate organic debris and support the invertebrate prey on which morays depend. Their symbiotic relationship with roving grouper — in which the two species coordinate nocturnal hunts — has been documented on Caribbean reefs and is likely an active dynamic at Chinchorro given the healthy populations of both species here.