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Chainlink Moray
Moray

Chainlink Moray

Echidna catenata

The chainlink moray wears a yellow-on-black lattice that is unique to each individual, and it is the one moray you have a fair chance of seeing in daylight — it has been documented hunting crabs in Caribbean tide pools at low tide, behaviour essentially unrecorded in other morays. Like its snowflake cousin it crushes rather than bites through, so crabs and ornamental shrimp are the prey and fish are secondary. It is a Western Atlantic species rather than an Indo-Pacific one, it needs rockwork stable enough that it cannot undermine and topple the scape, and it needs a genuinely sealed lid: it can strike with its body out of the water and survive half an hour in the open.

Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Max size
28"
Min tank
125 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Bottom, Rockwork, Caves
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Chainlink Moray gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Percula ClownfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Percula Clownfish.Maroon ClownfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Maroon Clownfish.Purple Queen AnthiasChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Purple Queen Anthias.Banggai CardinalfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Banggai Cardinalfish.Radiant WrasseChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Radiant Wrasse.Pajama CardinalfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Pajama Cardinalfish.Green ChromisChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Green Chromis.Blue DamselChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Blue Damsel.Yellowtail DamselChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellowtail Damsel.Flame AngelfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Flame Angelfish.Coral Beauty AngelfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Coral Beauty Angelfish.Lemonpeel AngelfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Lemonpeel Angelfish.Bicolor AngelfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Bicolor Angelfish.Red Saddleback ClownfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Red Saddleback Clownfish.Yellow TangChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yellow Tang.Helfrich's FirefishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Helfrich's Firefish.Red Sea ClownfishChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Red Sea Clownfish.Yasha GobyChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Yasha Goby.Tailspot BlennyChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Tailspot Blenny.Kole TangChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Kole Tang.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Red Coris WrasseChainlink Moray and Red Coris Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Emperor AngelfishChainlink Moray and Emperor Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Queen AngelfishChainlink Moray and Queen Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Blueface AngelfishChainlink Moray and Blueface Angelfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Dragon WrasseChainlink Moray and Dragon Wrasse both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Golden Dwarf MorayChainlink Moray and Golden Dwarf Moray both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Clown TriggerfishChainlink Moray and Clown Triggerfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Miniata GrouperChainlink Moray and Miniata Grouper both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Panther GrouperChainlink Moray and Panther Grouper both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Six-Line SoapfishChainlink Moray and Six-Line Soapfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.Painted FrogfishChainlink Moray and Painted Frogfish both claim the same part of the tank and may squabble.