What makes moray eels unique?
What makes moray eels unique?
Interesting Facts About the Moray Eel Moray eels are carnivorous, and ambush predators. They live a rather sedentary life, waiting in hidden places for prey to pass near them. This lifestyle has led to several interesting adaptations. Teeth – Unlike other eels, moray eels have two lines of teeth.
What is unique about the way a moray eel digests its prey?
One amazing trait of the moray eel is its two sets of jaws, one set right in front and a second set in its throat! After the moray eel snags its prey with its front set of jaws, the second set of jaws grabs the food and pulls it down toward the stomach—just like a scary science fiction monster!
Why do moray eels keep their mouth open?
Most fish breathe by closing and opening their gill covers to force water over their gills. Moray eels don’t have gill covers, so they constantly open and close their mouths to breathe. Since eels don’t have gills like other fish, the eel must breath thru its mouth.
How are moray eels different from other predators?
THEY HAVE TWO SETS OF JAWS. Like the monster in Alien (1979), morays attack their victims with a hidden set of chompers. Whereas most predatory fish use suction to pull food down their throats, morays instead rely upon a two-step strategy.
Why do moray eels change gender?
In animals In these species, such as many species of coral reef fishes, sex change is a normal anatomical process. Clownfish, wrasses, moray eels, gobies and other fish species are known to change sex, including reproductive functions. When she dies, the most dominant male changes sex and takes her place.
Do moray eels have gill slits or flaps?
Most fish species have bony gill covers on their sides which they constantly open and close to force water over the internal gill chamber allowing them to breathe. Moray eels do not have these covers so they have to use their mouths to orally pump water through the gills.
How do moray eels adapt to their environment?
The almost 200 species of moray eel have many different adaptations, including a snake-like, streamlined body coated in mucus and no pectoral or pelvic fins. Their camouflaged coloring helps them blend in with their surroundings and ambush prey.
Do moray eels like to be petted?
The eel itself is flopped on its side, its characteristic open-mouthed grimace looking far more like a grin of pure pleasure as the underside of its body is scratched. Since “Oliver The Green Moray Eel Loves to be Petted” was uploaded in 2012, it has seen more than 100,000 views and countless Twitter shares.
Are moray eels blind?
This species has poor eyesight, but its excellent sense of smell is used to ambush prey. Moray eels are the only fish to capture prey with outer teeth and use pharyngeal jaws in their throat (which push forward into its mouth) to pull prey into its stomach.
Why do moray eels have 2 sets of Jaws?
As the Moray eel feeds, a second set of jaws emerges from the throat to help the eel swallow its prey. This video allowed researchers to identify the eel’s unique feeding style. Credit: Rita Mehta. These radiographs from Nature depict the position of the pharyngeal jaws in Moray eels during prey transport.
Do moray eels have teeth?
Scientists in California have reported that moray eels have a set of teeth within a second set of jaws, called the pharyngeal jaws, that help them capture their prey.
Do moray eels have pectoral fins?
Unlike most other fish, moray eels have no pectoral or pelvic fins. Instead, a moray eel has one long, muscular dorsal (top) fin that runs almost the length of its body. This adaptation makes it more streamlined, as there aren’t any fins to scrape against coral as it swims.
What is the pharyngeal jaws of a moray eel?
The family Muraenidae (moray eels) is often distinguished by their pharyngeal jaws. Other fish develop gill arches with the pharyngeal slits of the embryo, but morays use these structures into a way to eat faster. Instead of supportive cartilaginous arches that support the structure of the gills, pharyngeal jaws develop teeth and musculature.
How do you care for a moray eel?
Keeping eels in general requires specialist knowledge and attention. They are commonly known as the masters of escape, so a secure tank with a tight-fitting top is required. Moray eels are often aggressive to other fish, including individuals of the same species, so they often have to be kept singly.
How does a green moray eel breathe?
Although this behavior may appear threatening, the eel is actually taking in water to breathe. The water passes over the gills and exits through vent-like openings at the back of the head. During the daytime, green morays are sedentary or sit-and-wait predators. At night, they are more active, hunting through the reef for their meal.
