Lipspot Moray

Body light brown, with dendritic pattern. Corner of mouth with a dark brown spot, preceded on lower lip by a large white blotch (often followed by another above and behind corner of mouth); upper and lower jaw pores usually in prominent white spots. Vertebrae 121-133.Description: Characterized by body depth at gill opening about 18-20 in TL; origin of dorsal fin at about midway between gill opening and corner of mouth; anus located near middle of body; single row of jaw teeth in anterior part of jaws; posterior canines usually alternating with 1-2 small teeth; three longest median canines at front of upper jaw; females, side of jaw with two rows of teeth, 1-3 elongate teeth in inner row (no inner teeth in male); front of lower jaw with two rows of teeth, inner row longest (Ref. 90102).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 0; Vertebrae: 121 - 133

Occurs in shallow coastal reef flats, usually found in less than 5 m water depth, but ranges to deep water rubble reefs (Ref. 48635). Benthic (Ref. 58302).

fisheries: of no interest

分布於印度-太平洋區，西起南非、阿曼，東至夏威夷及社會群島，北至日本，南至澳洲北部等海域。臺灣分布於南部及東北、東南部和澎湖等海域。

一般可利用延繩釣、手釣等漁法捕獲。由於體型小，較不適合食用。偶被觀賞水族業者收購飼養、販售。

體延長而呈圓柱狀，尾部側扁。吻圓；上下頜完全密合；無頜間尖牙；上、下頜齒呈尖牙狀，單列；鋤骨齒單列。脊椎骨數124-128。體色斑紋變異很大，底色從黃褐至黑褐，斑紋由斑塊至樹枝狀條紋皆有；上、下頜之各個側線孔皆位於一白斑中；下頜在嘴角略前的部位呈白色，嘴角有黑痕。

幼鯙棲息於潮間帶，成長較大後遷移至較深的水域。其體色在夜間常消褪成白肉的顏色，因體表的褐色素胞及黑色素胞在黑暗中收縮的緣故。本種性成熟的體型小，雌鯙在體長未達20公分時，腹腔內即含成熟的卵粒。在淺海珊瑚礁區或水族缸中皆可成熟。產卵前雌鯙腹部膨大，雄鯙有追逐雌鯙的行為。肉食性，伺機捕食魚類或頭足類為生。

The lipspot moray eel (Gymnothorax chilospilus), also known as the textile moray, white-lipped moray or white-lipped reef eel, is a moray eel found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first named by Pieter Bleeker in 1864.

It is named for a distinct white spot on the lower lip near the corner of the mouth.

Usually found in less than 5 m water depth.