Moray+Eels

Moray Eels -Olivia Jagiello

Moray eels are actually fish even though they have a snake-like appearance. All moray eels have one long fin that extends from the head to the tail. Because it looks quite ferocious, the moray eel has long had a fearsome reputation. Roman legend tells of Nero throwing slaves into watery pits filled with moray eels so bored aristocrats could gain pleasure from seeing people eaten alive. While it is a reputation that moray eels find hard to live down, they are not aggressive animals and will attack only when threatened. At least 15 different species live in north-western Australia.

A moray eel has a long, thin, snake-like body, combined with a large set of jaws. Most species have long, sharp teeth but some do have low, small teeth. They are usually one to two metres long, though some species will reach up to three metres long and 30 centimetres in diameter. The colour varies from black to brownish-yellow with a pale underside. Moray eels live in holes in the reef. Moray eels are found in tropical and temperate waters throughout the world. They don't often venture far from the crevices in which they live and catch prey by hiding themselves in the reef and waiting for un-suspectful prey. They eat mainly fish, but on occasion eat octopus and crustaceans.