Mediterranean moray
Muraena helena Linnaeus, 1758
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Mediterranean moray (Muraena helena) is a species of fish in the Muraenidae family. It has a long eel-like body and is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Its bite can be dangerous to humans.
Wikipedia contributors, Mediterranean moray; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:41:12.863226+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Muraena helena Linnaeus, 1758
- Name authority
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Common name
- Mediterranean moray
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Anguilliformes
- Family
- Muraenidae
- Genus
- Muraena
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderAnguilliformes
- familyMuraenidae Rafinesque, 1815
- subfamilyMuraeninae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusMuraena Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesMuraena helena Linnaeus, 1758
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Muraena. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Muraena appendiculata (Guichenot, 1848) | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Argus morayMuraena argus (Steindachner, 1870) | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Muraena augusti (Kaup, 1856) | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| hourglass morayMuraena clepsydra Gilbert, 1898 | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Muraena melanotis (Kaup, 1859) | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Muraena pavonina Richardson, 1845 | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| jewel morayMuraena lentiginosa Jenyns, 1842 | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| reticulate morayMuraena retifera Goode & Bean, 1882 | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| stout morayMuraena robusta Osório, 1911 | MuraenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Muraena guttata Risso, 1827 Risso, 1827 | ambiguous synonym |
| Muraena punctata Rafinesque, 1810 Rafinesque, 1810 | ambiguous synonym |
| Muraena romana Shaw, 1803 Shaw, 1803 | synonym |
| Muraena variegata Rafinesque, 1810 Rafinesque, 1810 | synonym |
| Gymnothorax muraena Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Bloch & Schneider, 1801 | synonym |
| Muraenophis bettencourti (Osório, 1911) (Osório, 1911) | synonym |
| Muraenophis fulva Risso, 1810 Risso, 1810 | synonym |
| Muraena bettencourti Osório, 1911 Osório, 1911 | synonym |
| Muraena helena australiae Richardson, 1848 Richardson, 1848 | synonym |
| Muraena australiae Richardson, 1848 Richardson, 1848 | synonym |
| Muraena helaena Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
| Muraena vorax Ogilby, 1907 Ogilby, 1907 | synonym |
| Murenophis bettencourti (Osório, 1911) (Osório, 1911) | synonym |
| Thyrsoidea atlantica Johnson, 1862 Johnson, 1862 | synonym |
| Limamuraena guttata (Risso, 1827) (Risso, 1827) | synonym |
| Muraenophis helena (Linnaeus, 1758) (Linnaeus, 1758) | synonym |
| Limmamuraena guttata (Risso, 1827) (Risso, 1827) | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.542 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:44L3Q. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.