Interesting Facts About Moray Eels:
1. Moray eels are not usually small – on average, they grow up to 60 cm in length and weigh up to 10 kg, while larger specimens can reach 4 meters in length and weigh 40 kg. The largest ever caught giant moray weighed 51 kg.
2. Their vision is poor, they can only distinguish movement and changes in lighting, relying on their sense of smell to hunt.
3. In addition to their main jaws, moray eels have additional jaws located in their throat. They use them to capture prey in the most reliable way.
4. The moray eel’s mouth is constantly open. Initially, it was thought that this was due to their long teeth, but it turned out not to be the case. The predator breathes this way – water access to the gills is limited when it sits in ambush in a narrow burrow.
5. Some species of moray eels have poisonous teeth and slime. While not lethal to humans, it can easily cause poisoning or burns.
6. Moray eels often attack scuba divers without apparent reason. Even encounters with small specimens, 15-20 cm long, can result in injury and blood loss.
7. Moray eels have a friend in the underwater world, the cleaner wrasse. It approaches the eel sitting in ambush and, shaking its head, calls it to the hunting spot, and when the prey is caught, they share it.
8. The depth at which these predatory fish live reaches 60 m, and some species can even move on land.
9. Moray eels lead a nocturnal lifestyle, they are solitary and fiercely defend their territory.
10. Most moray eels are born as males, and then, upon reaching a certain age, they change sex and coloration to become females.