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What the sources say

Green Moray EelGymnothorax funebris

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Green Moray Eel profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 56 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Gymnothorax funebris (Morena verde). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysIt isn't even really green. Strip away the slime and its scaleless skin is a plain dark grey or brown
The source saysThis animal has no scales on its dark brown/grey skin, the entirety of which is covered by a yellow mucus.
The page saysA yellow mucus covers the whole body and protects it from parasites and bacteria
The source saysthe entirety of which is covered by a yellow mucus. This mucus serves to protect these eels from parasites and bacteria.
The page saysthat yellow, mixed with the dark skin, gives the eel the green hue it is named for
The source saysThe yellow color of the mucus, when mixed with the brown or grey color of the eel's skin, results in a green hue, for which the animal is named.
The page saysWhen a green moray meets a fish too large to swallow whole, it wraps itself around its prey in a knot for leverage, then tears the fish into smaller pieces that are easier to swallow
The source saysWhen an eel encounters a fish too large to swallow whole, it wraps itself around its prey in a characteristic knot, allowing for leverage against the fish. It then tears its prey into smaller pieces, which can be swallowed more easily.Note: ADW's green moray species account
The page saysin rock crevices and small caves
The source saysThey reside in rock crevices and small caves
The page saysThe eel has no scales, and its skin is dark brown or grey
The source saysThis animal has no scales on its dark brown/grey skinNote: FAQ 2
The page saysOver the top sits a yellow mucus, which shields it from parasites and bacteria
The source saysthe entirety of which is covered by a yellow mucus. This mucus serves to protect these eels from parasites and bacteria.Note: FAQ 2
The page saysBlend that yellow with the brown-grey below and you get green, the colour that gave the animal its name
The source saysThe yellow color of the mucus, when mixed with the brown or grey color of the eel's skin, results in a green hue, for which the animal is named.Note: FAQ 2
The page saysCoral reefs, rocky crevices, mangroves, tidal creeks, and seagrass beds of the Western Atlantic and Caribbean
The source saysGreen morays live in rocky, intertidal areas, coral reefs, mangroves, tidal creeks, harbors, seagrass beds, and other areas over sandy or muddy bottoms. They reside in rock crevicesNote: stats.habitat
The page saysA yellow mucus coat that protects it from parasites and bacteria
The source saysthe entirety of which is covered by a yellow mucus. This mucus serves to protect these eels from parasites and bacteria.Note: stats.superpower

Source
02

Florida Museum of Natural History

Gymnothorax funebris (Green Moray). Florida Museum of Natural History.

The page saysCommon in the warm waters of the Caribbean
The source saysCommon throughout the warm waters of the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, and Florida Keys
The page saysthe green moray eel (*Gymnothorax funebris*) is one of the largest morays
The source saysOne of the largest of the morays, the green moray
The page saysIts maximum reported size is 8 feet (2.5 m) and 65 pounds (29 kg)
The source saysMaximum reported size for the species is 8ft (2.5m) and 65 pounds (29 kg).
The page saysthough the average maximum is likely closer to 6 feet and 30 pounds
The source saysAverage maximum size is likely closer to 6ft (1.8m) and 30 pounds (13.3 kg).
The page saysGreen morays hunt at night, relying largely on their sense of smell to find fish, crabs, shrimps and cephalopods
The source saysThe green moray is nocturnal predator of fishes, crabs, cephalopods and shrimps that relies largely on its sense of smell to locate prey.
The page sayssuch as squid
The source saysSquid – food item of the green moray.Note: photo caption on the Florida Museum species page
The page saysworking in and out of the many tight crevices and holes of coral reefs where prey hide
The source saysGreen morays are adept at working their way in and out of the many tight crevices and holes of coral reefs where fishes and other organisms hide.
The page saysTheir mouths constantly open and close, pumping water over the gills for breathing
The source saysThe mouth is constantly opening and closing, mechanically pumping the water required for respiration. This water passes over the small, spherical gills
The page saysgreen morays have been seen visiting wrasse cleaning stations
The source saysthis moray has been observed to visit wrasse-cleaning stations and submit to the activities of certain cleaner shrimps
The page saysThe species ranges through the western Atlantic from New Jersey and Bermuda down to Brazil
The source saysThe green moray occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to Bermuda and the northern Gulf of Mexico, south to Brazil
The page sayseating a large green moray can cause ciguatera poisoning, from a toxin that builds up in large predatory reef species
The source saysCiguatera poisoning in humans as a direct result of the consumption of large green morays is well documented. Ciguatera poisoning is caused by dinoflagellates (microalgae) found on dead corals or macroalgae. By feeding on these corals and macroalgae, herbivorous fishes accumulate a toxin generated by these dinoflagellates. Largely a phenomenon of tropical marine environments, ciguitoxin accumulates still further in the large predatory reef species that feed on herbivorous fishes.
The page saysBites are most likely when a diver is feeding one, and divers who probe reef holes and crevices with their hands are also at risk
The source saysIt is during such contact, particularly in those situations in which a diver is feeding a moray that bites are most likely to occur. Additionally, unwary divers who indiscriminately probe reef holes and crevices with their hands are also at risk to suffer a biteNote: FAQ 4
The page sayswearing a thick yellow mucus that turns its dark skin green and protects it from parasites and disease
The source saysAlthough it is actually dark grey-brown, it is covered in a thick yellow mucus, giving it its green coloring and protecting it from parasites and disease.Note: tagline
The page saysFish, crabs, shrimp, squid, and other cephalopods
The source saysThe green moray is nocturnal predator of fishes, crabs, cephalopods and shrimpsNote: stats.diet; squid from the page's caption "Squid – food item of the green moray"
The page saysa sense of smell it relies on to find prey at night
The source saysThe green moray is nocturnal predator of fishes, crabs, cephalopods and shrimps that relies largely on its sense of smell to locate prey.Note: stats.superpower
The page saysthe green moray relies largely on its sense of smell to find fish, crabs, shrimps and squid
The source saysThe green moray is nocturnal predator of fishes, crabs, cephalopods and shrimps that relies largely on its sense of smell to locate prey.Note: vibe.reason, settled in #836 (throat jaws are Muraena retifera, not this species).

Source
03

FishBase

Gymnothorax funebris, Green moray. FishBase.

The page saysfrom 1 to 50 meters deep but usually 5 to 30
The source saysdepth range 1 - 50 m (Ref. 58047 ), usually 5 - 30 m (Ref. 26938 ).
The page saysIts large size and aggressiveness make its bites particularly dangerous
The source saysDue to its large size and aggressiveness, the bites of this moray are particularly dangerous
The page saysIts large size and aggressiveness make its bites particularly dangerous
The source saysDue to its large size and aggressiveness, the bites of this moray are particularly dangerousNote: FAQ 4
The page says1 to 50 meters deep (usually 5 to 30)
The source saysdepth range 1 - 50 m (Ref. 58047 ), usually 5 - 30 m (Ref. 26938 ).Note: stats.habitat
The page saysdangerLevel: High
The source saysDue to its large size and aggressiveness, the bites of this moray are particularly dangerousNote: Settles #836: confirmed. Dangerous bites when provoked (divers feeding it or probing crevices, per the Florida Museum), no recorded death.

Source
04

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

Green Moray Eel. Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.

The page saysIts life expectancy is 10 to 40 years, longer in human care
The source saysLife Expectancy Between 10-40 years, longer in human care.Note: species fact box on the Virginia Aquarium's green moray page (Gymnothorax funebris); preferred to ADW, which says the species' lifespan "is not well known" and gives only other Anguilliformes' figures
The page saysBy day they hide away
The source saysthey are nocturnal and tend to hide away during the day
The page saysCleaner shrimp and gobies eat parasites, bacteria and dead skin off an eel's body and out of its mouth
The source saysCleaner shrimp and gobies also help eat parasites, bacteria, and dead skin off an eel's body and from their mouths in a symbiotic relationship.
The page saysThe reef predator that lies in wait in rock crevices
The source saysthey hunt by lying in wait in rock crevices and coral reefsNote: tagline

Source
05

Mehta & Wainwright 2007

Mehta & Wainwright (2007). Raptorial jaws in the throat help moray eels swallow large prey. Nature.

The page saysMost bony fish gulp in a burst of water that carries a meal back to a second set of jaws already waiting in the throat
The source saysMost bony fishes rely on suction mechanisms to capture and transport prey. Once captured, prey are carried by water movement inside the oral cavity to a second set of jaws in the throat, the pharyngeal jaws
The page saysMoray eels are weak at building that kind of suction
The source saysMoray eels display much less effective suction-feeding abilities.
The page saysA study of a different moray, *Muraena retifera*, showed how that species gets around the problem
The source saysHere we show that the moray eel (Muraena retifera) overcomes reduced suction capacityNote: the study species is Muraena retifera, not the green moray; the text says so and attributes nothing in the study to G. funebris
The page saysits throat jaws launch forward into the mouth, seize the struggling prey, and haul it back down into the esophagus
The source sayslaunching raptorial pharyngeal jaws out of its throat and into its oral cavity, where the jaws grasp the struggling prey animal and transport it back to the throat and into the oesophagus.
The page saysIt was the first described case of a backboned animal using a second set of jaws to both restrain and transport prey
The source saysThis is the first described case of a vertebrate using a second set of jaws to both restrain and transport prey
The page saysmade possible by elongated muscles working the jaws and reduced gill-arch structures beside them
The source saysThe extreme mobility of the moray pharyngeal jaws is made possible by elongation of the muscles that control the jaws, coupled with reduction of adjacent gill-arch structures.
The page saysMost bony fish rely on suction: a rush of water carries a meal back to a second set of jaws in the throat
The source saysMost bony fishes rely on suction mechanisms to capture and transport prey. Once captured, prey are carried by water movement inside the oral cavity to a second set of jaws in the throatNote: FAQ 1
The page saysMoray eels are far worse at suction feeding
The source saysMoray eels display much less effective suction-feeding abilities.Note: FAQ 1
The page saysA study of one moray species, Muraena retifera, showed its workaround: the throat jaws shoot forward into the mouth, grab the prey, and pull it back down
The source sayswe show that the moray eel (Muraena retifera) overcomes reduced suction capacity by launching raptorial pharyngeal jaws out of its throat and into its oral cavity, where the jaws grasp the struggling prey animal and transport it back to the throat and into the oesophagus.Note: FAQ 1; the study species is not the green moray and the answer names it
The page saysThat was the first described case of a backboned animal using a second set of jaws to both restrain and transport prey
The source saysThis is the first described case of a vertebrate using a second set of jaws to both restrain and transport preyNote: FAQ 1

Source
06

Kendall et al. 2021

Kendall et al. (2021). Green morays (Gymnothorax funebris) have sedentary ways in mangrove bays, but also ontogenetic forays to reef enclaves. Environmental Biology of Fishes.

The page saysSome green morays start out in mangrove bays
The source saysSeveral of the larger eels (mean TL = 93 cm ± 5.9 SE) showed clear and permanent emigration tracks out of the mangrove estuary to coral reef habitats offshore.Note: "some": the study documents an ontogenetic shift from mangrove bays to reefs in the tagged eels, not a rule for the species
The page saysResearchers who tagged sixteen eels along the mangrove fringe of bays in the US Virgin Islands and tracked them for up to 11 months
The source saysSixteen eels were captured from the mangrove fringe in multiple bays on St. Croix, USVI, implanted with coded acoustic transmitters, and their movements were tracked for up to 11 months
The page saysfound they kept to the same general parts of their bays, and all but one stayed in the same bay
The source saysThey exhibited high site fidelity in the bays during their residence, using the same general parts of individual bays and did not switch bays except for one individual.Note: "all but one stayed in the same bay" paraphrases "did not switch bays except for one individual"
The page saysThen several of the larger eels left for good, heading out to coral reef habitats offshore
The source saysSeveral of the larger eels (mean TL = 93 cm ± 5.9 SE) showed clear and permanent emigration tracks out of the mangrove estuary to coral reef habitats offshore.
The page saysEach final move happened during a single night, at a mean speed of 3.4 km/h
The source saysAll final emigration events took place nocturnally, happened during a single night, and occurred during months from December to May. Mean emigration speed was 3.4 km/h.
The page saysIt was the first documented habitat shift with growth in any moray eel
The source saysThis study is the first documentation of an ontogenetic habitat shift in moray eelsNote: ontogenetic = with growth and development
The page saysGreen morays fitted with acoustic tags in mangrove bays on St. Croix kept to the same general parts of their bays while they lived there
The source saysThey exhibited high site fidelity in the bays during their residence, using the same general parts of individual baysNote: FAQ 3
The page saysBut several of the larger eels left for good, heading out to coral reef habitats offshore
The source saysSeveral of the larger eels (mean TL = 93 cm ± 5.9 SE) showed clear and permanent emigration tracks out of the mangrove estuary to coral reef habitats offshore.Note: FAQ 3; "single night" is from the same abstract: "happened during a single night"
The page sayseach during a single night
The source saysAll final emigration events took place nocturnally, happened during a single nightNote: FAQ 3
The page saysthe first documented habitat shift with growth in any moray eel
The source saysThis study is the first documentation of an ontogenetic habitat shift in moray eelsNote: FAQ 3

Source
07

Smith & McCosker 2015

Smith & McCosker (2015). Gymnothorax funebris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T195731A2409410.

The page saysis listed as Least Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). Gymnothorax funebris Ranzani, 1839, IUCN taxon 195731.Note: category read through GBIF's copy of the Red List, per docs/fact-check.md

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.