Banded eel (Echidna polyzona) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
Barred moray, Banded moray, Girdled moray, Ringed moray, Zebra eel
Family
Muraenidae (moray eels)
Origin
Indo-Pacific and Red Sea to Hawaii and the Great Barrier Reef; reefs and shallow lagoons at 2–20 m
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
69 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.023–1.026
Minimum tank
400 litres
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
semi_aggressive
Reef safe
no

Care

A dark moray with pale bands, living on the bottom among reef rubble. It needs rockwork with secure caves, a strong skimmer and filtration, and a tight lid. Morays have poor eyesight and find food by smell, so feed with tongs rather than fingers; a bite can be deep and may become infected. Fit a tight lid with every gap closed, as eels are expert escape artists. Wikipedia gives a maximum of 72.3 cm for males. It is of commercial interest to the aquarium trade. Water figures here are general marine aquarium guidance, not species-specific: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, salinity SG 1.023–1.026. Minimum tank size of about 400 litres is our estimate from the adult size and habits, not a published figure. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barredmoray). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Eats shrimps, crabs, isopods and worms, feeding by day and night. Offer shrimp, crab, mussel and squid two or three times a week.

Breeding

Breeding in home aquaria has not been reported in the sources used here.

Compatibility and tank mates

Not reef safe with shrimps, crabs and other crustaceans, which it hunts. It is a crustacean specialist and generally leaves fish too large to swallow alone.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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