Moray eel is not attractive fish. I don’t want to contact her, not even knowing the danger of too close contact. But we still try to get closer to her and get acquainted with this mysterious and very interesting creature, surrounded by gloomy glory.
What does moray eel look like?
The fish, the photo of which you can see in this article, has bare skin decorated with an intricate pattern, devoid of scales and covered with a thick protective layer of mucus, small eyes and a huge mouth, armed with elongated and very sharp teeth - this is a brief description of the appearance of moray eels. To this can be added an elongated laterally flattened body, devoid of pectoral and ventral fins, making it look like a snake.
Previously, it was believed that moray eel teeth are poisonous in the same way as snakes, but researchers have found that this is not true. But the mucus that covers the body of this amazing fish, saves it not only from germs and mechanical damage, but is also poisonous. Contact with it on human skin may result in burn marks.
About interesting features
Moray eel - a fish that has a very different color - it all depends on the habitat of this predator. Its camouflage color helps the fish blend in with the landscape. Even the inside of the gums is covered with the same pattern as the skin, because moray eels almost always keep their mouth open (too long teeth prevent it from closing).
Moray eels its victims by the smell at a great distance, but her eyesight, like that of a nocturnal animal, is almost not developed.
To swallow even a large piece torn off by this fish, it helps an extra jaw, called pharyngeal. It is located in the throat of moray eels and moves forward as soon as the victim is dangerously close to the mouth of the predator.
Moray eels can live both at great depths (up to 60 m), and in the tidal zone. And some of them, for example, belonging to the genus Gimnothorax, are able to get out of the water, which lingers in crevices at low tide, and crawl for many meters dry land in search of access to the sea or escaping from the chase.
Moray eels sizes
The sizes of these fish can fluctuate with large amplitude. So, for example, a giant moray eel (in other words it is called Javanese lycodont) reaches a length of up to 3.75 meters, and it weighs up to 45 kg. There are very small specimens that do not grow more than 10 cm. However, their mouths are also equipped with sharp teeth.
The males of all moray eels are noticeably smaller than females.
In the world there are up to 200 species of these predators. And most of them live in the warm waters of tropical and subtropical seas.
In the Red Sea, one can find the genus Moray Echidna, which include moray zebras and snow moray eels, as well as Gimnothorax - geometric, star and white-spotted fish. The largest among them reaches 3 m in length.
The same inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea grows to one and a half meters. It was this monster that served as the basis for the appearance of terrible legends that came from the time of antiquity.
Way of being
Moray eel is a fish that leads nightlife. During the day, the predator sits quietly in crevices of rock or in a thicket of coral, and when it gets dark it goes hunting. Its victims are small fish, crabs, octopuses and cephalopods.
Among moray eels, there are species that specialize mainly in sea urchins. Such beauties can be recognized by the shape of their teeth. They are well suited for breaking open shells.
By the way, watching moray eels is not very pleasant. She tears the victim into small pieces with her teeth, and literally in a minute nothing remains of her.
And the moray eel the octopus is driven into some crevice and, having stuck its head there, it tears off the tentacle behind the tentacle until it is all eaten.
About the partnership with moray eels
Moray eel is a fish about which there are many gloomy legends as an insatiable dangerous creature that does not know pity. But there are other eyewitness accounts that give us her image on the other hand.
So, for example, moray eels can collaborate in hunting with sea bass. He, inviting her for prey, swims to the hole and shakes his head. If moray eels are hungry, she goes after the perch. He leads the fish to the hidden "dinner" and waits for the predator to dive into the hole and catch it, then to share it with a hunting companion.
And the fish-bastards are completely resigned to the body of a gloomy predator, since they are well-known and respected doctors. These nimble bright fish, working in pairs, cleanse the body of moray eels, starting from the eyes, moving to the gills and fearlessly swimming in their mouths. And, interestingly, the moray eels at the reception at these doctors do not touch not only them, but also other fish, who sailed for help to the lips and are waiting for their turn.
What is unusual saber-toothed moray eel
Separately, perhaps, it is worth mentioning moray eels living in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Their black stripes decorating the yellow torso are also called tiger moray eels. The jaws of these predators adorn two rows of teeth of different sizes. By the way, this is another special sign of these fish.
The fact is that the saber-toothed moray eel is armed with transparent, glass-looking teeth, which, however, can easily crush the crab or carapace shell. Cleanliness of this radiant weapon is taken care of by shrimp-cleaners, safely living in the jaws of a terrible creature.
