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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
moray,
moray eel, painted eel |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Osteichthyes |
| ORDER: |
Anguilliformes |
| FAMILY: |
Muraenidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
No
data |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
These
slender, predatory bony fishes come in a wide variety
of colors and patterns. Sometimes they are called
painted eels because of the bright coloration of
certain species. The skin of morays is thick and
lacks scales, and most species have low dorsal (top)
fins and lack pectoral and pelvic fins. |
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| SIZE: |
From
15 cm (6 in.) to 4.5 m (15 ft.) |
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| DIET: |
Fishes,
octopuses, and crustaceans |
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| INCUBATION: |
Oviparous
(egg laying) |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Long
lived - some species probably live to 30 years or
more |
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| RANGE: |
Found
in all tropical seas and some temperate oceans |
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| HABITAT: |
Generally
found in shallow reef areas |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Green
moray eels (Gymnothorax funebris) are actually
blue, but a slimy yellow coating on their bodies
makes them appear green. The slime protects these
common tropical eels as they wiggle through jagged
caves and rocky crevices. They come out at night
to feed, but prefer small spaces and hiding places
in rocks and caves during the day. |
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| 2. |
A moray eel appears dangerous because it continually
exposes its mouth and teeth. This action, however,
is not a hostile gesture, but simply the way an
eel breathes. Morays have large mouths and powerful
jaws with a vice-like grip. Most species have sharp,
thin teeth that protrude from the upper and lower
jaws, and sometimes from the roof of the mouth.
The teeth point backwards to prevent slippery prey
from escaping. |
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| 3. |
Because most moray eels have low dorsal (top) fins
and lack pectoral and pelvic fins, they do not have
a great amount of lateral stability. It is not uncommon
to see moray eels lying or drifting on their sides
or even upside down. |
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| 4. |
Moray
eels have a nasty reputation among divers exploring
reef areas. Generally, they are not known to be
aggressive to divers unless disturbed or frightened.
A mistake that some divers make is to use rocky
areas as a hand-hold, which may turn out to be home
to several moray eels. Such an action may frighten
a moray eel to lash out and bite in self-defense.
Like many other "dangerous" sea creatures,
they usually do not bite unless first provoked. |
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| 5. |
For
more information about bony fishes, explore the
bony
fishes info book. |
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|
|
| Burgess,
W. and H.R. Axelrod. Pacific Marine Fishes. Book
1. Neptune City, NJ. T.F.H. Publications, Inc.
Ltd. 1971. |
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|
Eschmeyer, W.N., Herald, E.S. and H. Hammann. Peterson
Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes. New York.
Houghton Mifflin Co. 1983. |
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http://www.fishbase.org/
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