Banded moray

Photo: Nigel Marsh · CC BY-NC

Gymnothorax hepaticus is a rare Mediterranean moray of deeper shelf habitats, less frequently encountered than Muraena helena but consistently recorded on the Heraklion terraces between 25 and 35 m where it shelters in gorgonian root zones. Unlike its more common relative it is notably more slender and uniformly marked in brown with pale banding — a pattern that blends almost perfectly against the coralline substrate at depth. Its diet centres on small octopus and cephalopods rather than fish, a niche specialisation that allows it to coexist with Muraena helena at overlapping depths without direct prey competition.