Moray
mischief
Facts about green moray eels
The
skin of a green moray eel is not actually green, but dark
blue. Yellowish algae live in the slime that covers the eel's
skin, and these colors combine to make the animal appear green.
These animals hunt mostly at night for a variety of small
fish and crustaceans.
Moray eels are the top predators within their reef environment.
Some species of morays even eat other eels.
To find food, green morays follow their noses. These eels
are both nearsighted and colorblind, and react to the scent
of food by darting around the tank following a scent.
Morays continually open and close their mouths, showing off
their impressive teeth. This behavior contributes to their
fierce look, but this "gaping" motion is necessary for the
eel's respiration.
Double-hinged mouths allow the moray to open and close its
mouth both vertically and horizontally. These dual hinges
enable the moray to eat large objects.
In addition to the sharp teeth that line its mouth, a moray
eel also has a row of teeth on the roof of its mouth. ·
Moray eels can grow to eight feet in length, and can weigh
more than forty pounds.
Of the 18 species of moray eels found along the Atlantic,
the green morays are the largest. They are found in coral
reefs along the Mediterranean coast, and also in the Pacific,
Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
When they are not hunting for food, moray eels can be found
hiding in the protective areas in rock formations or reefs.
The age and sex of green moray eels are not easy to determine.
They do not reproduce in captivity because of their leaf-like
larvae, which floats and can be mistaken for refuse.
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