FishCommonVisible while snorkeling

Geometric moray

Gymnothorax griseus

The reef's friendliest moray: a pale grey eel whose head is stippled with neat rows of tiny black dots, as if printed on.

Photo: iNaturalist – (c) Dawn Goebbels, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dawn Goebbels

The geometric moray (Gymnothorax griseus) is one of the most common moray species of the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean. Its pale grey, sometimes yellowish body carries no big blotches or bars – instead the head is covered in tiny black dots arranged in rows so regular they gave the fish its English name. Like all morays it lacks pectoral and pelvic fins: a long dorsal fin ridge drives its snake-like glide through the crevices.

Unlike most morays it is no lonely hermit: two or three, sometimes a whole tangle of individuals share the same coral hole, with only the speckled heads peeking out. It is active in daylight too, hunting small fish and crustaceans in shallow water, and juveniles even turn up in tide pools. The constantly opening and closing mouth is not a threat – it is simply how the eel pumps water across its gills.

Around Hurghada this is the moray you are almost guaranteed to meet: it lives on the shallow reef tops and in the coral gardens, so snorkelers spot it regularly as well. On a dive, scan the cracks slowly – the geometric moray is a curious animal, and if you approach calmly it will happily stay out and pose for your photo.

Did you know?

It is a rare socialite among morays: three or four geometric morays will often share a single crevice in one coiled tangle – divers simply call it a "moray nest".

How to behave around it

The geometric moray is peaceful, but like all morays it will bite in self-defence if cornered. Never reach into holes, never feed it and don't push a camera into its face – watched from a respectful distance it is completely harmless.

Where can you meet it?

Found on almost every shallow Hurghada reef: it is a regular sight in the coral gardens of the Giftun Islands, on top of El Fanadir and on the shallow, snorkel-friendly Shaab Sabina.

Frequently asked questions

No, it never attacks on its own. Bites practically only happen when someone reaches into its hole or hand-feeds it – avoid those two things and you can photograph it calmly even from half a metre.

Yes, this is the most snorkel-friendly moray around Hurghada: it lives on shallow reef tops and is active by day. The shallow coral gardens of Shaab Sabina and the Giftun Islands give you the best odds.

It's not a threat – it's breathing. Morays have small gill openings, so they pump water across their gills with their mouth. The "snarl" is just a relaxed breath.