About 200 species of eels found worldwide, almost all marine. They hide in crevices to ambush prey and have to keep gulping to breathe.
Quick answers
What is it?Fish
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
Mostly to eat: some large morays carry the toxin that causes ciguatera poisoning.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Nocturnal, which is one reason its breeding is so rarely seen.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Some big morays carry toxins that cause ciguatera poisoning, so they are not recommended to eat.
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatOpen ocean, Coast
ColoursGreen, Brown, Yellow
SizeLarge
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives alone
Lives for10–30 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Seas worldwide; a few in brackish or fresh water.
Did you know
Has a second set of jaws in its throat that shoot forward to drag prey down.
A moray must keep opening and closing its mouth to pass water over its gills.
Often confused with
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