Moray eels are members of the family Muraenidae. There are 15 genera and over 200 species of individuals who fall under the collective name of the moray eel. They are most prevalent in tropical regions of the world but there are also populations in temperate regions. This scale is less, such as predatory snake will grow anywhere from just a foot to 15 feet in length depending on the particular species. Slender giant moray is the longest. Giant moray thick bodied and only reaches about 10 feet long, but can easily tip the scales at 80 pounds. Some species have been reported to be living in more than 30 years. They are often referred to as a sea monster in ancient times due to their size and fearsome appearance.
Moray eels have a very long dorsal fin. They start at the back of their heads and stretch the entire length of their bodies to join seamlessly with their anal fin and tail. Most species lack pectoral fins and pelvis. This adds to the sleekness of their bodies and contribute to their snake like appearance. Moray eels are usually patterned. This pattern is even found in the mouth to help camouflage them from their pesky next victim. Their eyes are rather small and round like reptiles they are so similar.
Moray was a fierce predator. They do not just swallow whole fish dinner they like the most. Their teeth slant backwards designed for one purpose, to tear the flesh. They do not chew or hold their victims. They tore into it. Their teeth combined with not one but two sets of jaws to be a deadly combination. The beginning of a very wide jaw Moray possible to receive large prey. A secondary pharyngeal jaw jaw is called in their throat. Pharyngeal jaw also has teeth. Moray eels are the only creatures on the planet to use pharyngeal jaws to subdue their prey and prevent it from further struggle.
Moray has eye sight and hearing is bad bad. They are night hunters and have little use for good vision. Highly developed sense of smell serves them well in environments with little or no light. They spend most of their time hiding in cracks and crevices patiently awaiting the arrival of their dinner. When the time is right, they strike with precision lightening fast snake.
Moray glide through the water, not swimming. The undulation of the body they provide a lot of motion on the ground the way a snake moves. Among their appearance is very large, the size of the wild and they have many characteristics in common with some of the most feared reptiles on dry land it is no wonder the ancient mariners transformed human story giant sea monsters eat.
It is common to mistake predatory instincts for aggressive behavior. Moray eels are not inherently evil. They are just trying to survive like everything else in nature. Moray is more likely to hide from human disturbance rather than make a stand. They would rather flee than fight. Most bites suffered during the accident or human interaction in what eles consider self defense. A giant moray can easily sever human fingers. Bite wounds often become infected. Whether in the wild or in the aquarium are advised to be cautious when dealing with these creatures.
Most moray eels are too big to be kept in home aquariums. They are more suitable for commercial aquarium. Depending on the size of your aquarium there are about a dozen species, you might want to consider. Among the smallest of these species are rod-edged moray (Gymnothorax margaritophorus), Richardson moray (Gymnothorax richardsonii) and chestnut moray (Enchelycore carychoa). The Eels will reach 12-14 inches when fully grown.
This is not a very aggressive animal, but because of his predatory nature was not suited for marine reef aquariums. If kept in a community tank should be placed with the moray fish just aggressive enough to take in stride a fellow predator. Lionfish, angelfish, boxfish and grouper fit into this category. If you intend to increase the moray, you also have to realize that they navigate the cracks and crevices in the same way a snake would. They can easily escape from something less than the aquarium closely sleepy.
This is a strictly carnivorous creatures. They may indicate a reluctance to eat when they were first introduced to their new environment. They eat live food such as brine shrimp for smaller species and shrimp and feeder fish for larger eels will help them adjust to their new environment. Finally they can be weaned from live food.