Moray (fish). Giant moray eagle: photo

Murena is a fish that is not attractive. She will not want to get involved without even knowing about the danger of too close contact. But we'll still try to get close to her and get to know this mysterious and very interesting creature, surrounded by gloomy fame.

What does the moray eel

Fish, the photo of which you can consider in this article, has a naked skin decorated with intricate pattern, devoid of scales and covered with a thick protective layer of mucus, small eyes and a huge mouth, armed with elongated and very sharp teeth - here is a brief description of the appearance of moray eels. To this can be added and elongated flattened from the sides body, devoid of pectoral and pelvic fins, making it look like a snake.

Earlier it was believed that the teeth of moray eels are poisonous in the same way as in a snake, but the researchers found that this is not true. But the mucus that covers the body of this amazing fish, saves it not only from germs and mechanical damage, but also is poisonous. From contact with her on human skin, traces may appear, as from a burn.

On interesting features

Murena - a fish that has a variety of colors, it all depends on the habitat of this predator. Its camouflage color helps the fish to merge with the landscape. She even has the inner side of the gums covered with the same pattern as the skin, since moray eels almost always keep the mouth open (to close it, too long teeth interfere).

His victims feel the smell of the smell at a great distance, but her vision, like a nocturnal animal, is almost not developed.

Swallow even a large piece, torn off this fish, it helps the additional jaw, called the pharyngeal. It is located in the throat of moray eels and extends forward as soon as the victim is in dangerous proximity to the mouth of the predator.

Morays can live both at great depths (up to 60 m) and in the tidal zone. And some of them, for example, belonging to the genus Gimnotorax, are able to get out of the water, which lingers in the crevices at low tide, and crawl many meters dry in search of an outlet to the sea or fleeing from the chase.

The moray eels

The size of these fish can fluctuate with a large amplitude. So, for example, a giant moray eel (in another way it is called a Javanic lycodona) reaches a length of up to 3.75 meters, and it weighs up to 45 kg. There are also very small specimens that do not grow more than 10 cm. However, their mouths are also provided with sharpened teeth.

Males of all moray eels are noticeably smaller than females.

In the world there are up to 200 species of these predators. And most of them live in the warm waters of the tropical and subtropical seas.

In the Red Sea, you can find the genus of moray Echidna, which include morain-zebra and snow moray eels, as well as Gimnotorax - geometric, stellar and white-spotted fish. The largest among them reaches 3 m in length.

The inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea of the same name grows up to one and a half meters. It was this monster that served as the basis for the appearance of eerie legends, which came from the time of antiquity.

The image of existence

Murena is the fish that leads the night life. During the day, the predator quietly sits in the crevices of rock or in the thickets of corals, and with the onset of darkness it goes hunting. Its victims are small fish, crabs, octopuses and cephalopods.

Among the moray eels there are species that specialize mainly in sea urchins. Such beauties can be recognized by the shape of the teeth. They are perfectly suited for hacking shells.

By the way, it's not very pleasant to look at the hunt for moray eels. She tears her victim's teeth in small pieces, and literally a minute from her nothing remains.

And the octopus moray ejects into some crevice and, thrusting his head in there, tears off the tentacle behind the tentacle until all of it is eaten.

About the commonwealth with moray eels

Murena is a fish, of which there are many gloomy legends as an insatiable dangerous creature that does not know pity. But there are other stories of eyewitnesses who give us her image from the other side.

So, for example, a moray eel can cooperate in hunting with a sea bass. He, inviting her for prey, swims to the hole and shakes her head. If the moray eel is hungry, it goes after the perch. He leads the fish to a hidden "lunch" and waits for the predator to dive into the hole and catch it, then share it with the hunting companion.

And giban fish and at all without a murmur are allowed to the body of a gloomy predator, as they are well-known and respected doctors. These nimble bright fish, working in pairs, clean the body of the moray eels, starting from the eyes, moving to the gills and fearlessly swimming in their mouths. And, interestingly, the moray eels at the reception of these doctors do not touch not only them, but also other fish that have come for help to the lips and are waiting their turn.

What is unusual about the saber-toothed moray eels

Separately, perhaps, it is worth mentioning moray eels living in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. They are called black tufts, which decorate the yellow trunk, even with tiger moray eels. The jaws of these predators are decorated with two rows of teeth of different sizes. By the way, this is another special feature of these fish.

The fact is that the saber-toothed moray eels are armed with transparent, glass-like teeth, which, however, can easily shatter the shell of a crab or cancer. The purity of this shining weapon is taken care of shrimp-cleaners safely living in the mouth of a terrible creature.

Does a moray eel attack a person?

This gloomy and unfriendly-looking creature, of course, is not safe for people. But the bite of moray will follow only if the person himself becomes a source of danger for her. That is, if a diver tries to push his hand or leg into the hole where this fish hides, then do not be surprised at the reaction of the frightened animal. Moreover, you should not pursue the moray echoing from you.

It is dangerous and to shoot from the harpoon in the crevice, being afraid that there may be a predator. After all, if she really is there, then, angry, he will try to attack you.

Remember that this fish does not just attack a creature that exceeds it in size, which means leave it alone - and it will not touch you. Moreover, if you are cautious and prudent, then the moray eagle (the fish, the photo of which you had the opportunity to see here) can become a comrade to you. This has repeatedly been written by famous ocean explorers and divers.