The slender giant moray or gangetic moray, Strophidon sathete, is the longest member of the family of moray eel

Moray eel

Moray eels are cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. The approximately 200 species in 15 genera are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few, for example the freshwater moray can sometimes be found in freshwater...

s. Specimen as large as 4 m have been recorded. This species is characterized by an elongated body, as well as brownish-grey dorsal coloration which pales towards the venter

Venter

Venter is a surname, and may refer to:* Brendan Venter - Rugby union footballer* Christoffel Venter - South African military commander* Craig Venter - American biologist and businessman...

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Distribution and habitat

The slender giant moray is found in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean

Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...

 from the Red Sea

Red Sea

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...

 and East Africa

East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

 to the western Pacific. It generally lives in the benthic muddy environments of marine and estuarine areas, including inner bays and rivers.