BOY CATCHES FLESH WATER EEL HOW TO
BOY CATCHES FLESH WATER EEL FULL

BOY CATCHES FLESH WATER EEL FULL

The pharyngeal jaws enable the moray to transport the food into the gullet without having to achieve full jaw gape. It has been speculated that they have these specialized pharyngeal jaws because it is often difficult for them to open their primary jaws fully because they hunt in tight spaces, like in reef crevices and interstices. When a moray bites its quarry with the main jaws and begins to move it into the mouth, the jaws in the pharynx are extended to grasp the prey item and pull it deeper into the esophagus (like the jaws of the creature in the Alien movies!). It turns out that morays have a second set of jaws in the pharynx that possess re-curved teeth.

Recently, a fascinating discovery was made about the moray feeding apparatus. Obviously, it is important to know something about the diet of the moray before you add it to your community fish aquarium. The stout moray (Gymnothorax eurostus) is a species that feeds on both benthic fish and invertebrates (namely crustaceans). This species uses the pebblelike teeth in its jaws to crush crabs. A classic invertebrate-eater is the banded moray (Echidna polyzona). This moray has smaller teeth on the sides of the jaws and sharp, daggerlike dentition running along the roof of the mouth. A classic fish-eater is the purplemouth moray (Gymnothorax vicinus). When it comes to their food habits, morays can be classified into one of three general categories: mainly fish-eaters, mainly invertebrate-eaters and those that feed almost equally on fish and invertebrates. While some morays have fanglike dentition (e.g., dragon moray ), there are other species that possess molarlike teeth (e.g., zebra moray ) that are perfectly adapted to crushing hard-shelled invertebrates (e.g., crustaceans, snails, sea urchins). While the color of some morays is dull and monochromatic, there are other species that sport dramatic patterns that include bands, spots and/or mottling. The mouth remains open as they pump water over the gills with the muscles in the gill cavity. Although it looks menacing, it is simply how morays respire. Morays almost always have their mouths open. A few morays (e.g., yellowmouth moray ) are known to exude a toxic slime that may dissuade parasites from attaching to them. Morays lack scales, but instead, they exude large amounts of body slime to protect themselves from parasites. All are characterized by a lack of pectoral and pelvic fins gill openings that consist of small holes with no bony cover large, toothy jaws and dorsal and anal fins that are continuous around the tail. This genus is comprised of around 16 genera and approximately 200 species. Moray eels belong to the family Muraenidae.

BOY CATCHES FLESH WATER EEL HOW TO

In this article, I will discuss how to set up a moray tank and detail their general care requirements. But because this group of eels is quite diverse, care should be taken to get a moray that is right for your aquarium. In fact, there are a number of species that are a great choice for the beginning marine aquarists. Maybe it is this same attraction to the atypical that draws a guild of marine aquarists to members of the family Muraenidae - the morays.Īlthough not for everyone, many of the morays make outstanding aquarium pets. We are transfixed by “reality” programs that enter eclectic shops selling shrunken skulls, torture devices and mummified pets. We watch people consume freakish foods that make us squeamish. We take in shows about ghoulish parasites that eat us from the inside out. Turn on your TV, and click around the various nature, history and science channels, and it will soon become evident that we have an appetite for the bizarre.

Boy catches flesh water eel