Giant moray Facts for Kids
Gymnothorax javanicus · gim-noh-THOR-aks juh-VAN-ih-kus
A long, snake-shaped fish of warm coral reefs, one kind of moray eel.
- 🏃 speed: not yet checked
- ⚖️ 66 lb30 kg1
- 📏 9.8 ft3 m1 long
- 🎂 lifespan: not yet checked
- 🍽️ fish
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
A giant moray is a long fish shaped like a snake. It is one kind of moray eel. It lives on warm coral reefs and eats fish.
The giant moray lives in lagoons and on the outer edges of coral reefs, from the shallows down to deeper water. It stays low, near the bottom. It eats mostly fish, and sometimes crustaceans such as crabs.
Moray eels are a big group of fish, and the giant moray is one kind. It lives in the Indian and Pacific oceans, from the Red Sea and East Africa out to islands far across the Pacific. It lives in lagoons and on the outer edges of reefs, from the shallows down to deeper water, and it stays near the bottom. It is one of the biggest morays in that part of the world, longer than most grown-ups are tall. It eats mostly fish.
How big is a giant moray?
Giant moray in numbers
| Length | 9.8 ft3 m1up to; the longest published |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 66 lb30 kg1up to; the largest published weight |
| Top speed | no checked number yet |
| How long it lives | no checked number yet |
| What it eats | mostly fish, and sometimes crustaceans such as crabs |
| Where it lives | coral reefs and lagoons from the Red Sea and East Africa across the Indian and Pacific oceans |
| What kind | Fish |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)2 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- A giant moray is one of the biggest morays in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
- It stays near the bottom of the reef.
- It eats mostly fish.
Compare the giant moray
Friends and neighbours
Giant Pacific octopus
Clownfish
Green sea turtleThree questions
Books about the giant moray, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the giant moray for free.
For teachers
Use this animal in class: its facts are on this page, and the cards print from it.
Where these numbers come from
- FishBase, Gymnothorax javanicus (giant moray), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, Giant moray (Q1515957), checked 30 October 2026.