Did you know?

Did you know? Moray eels Jan 4 2008

Moray eels are nocturnal sea creatures, hunting and feeding on small fish and octopus by night. They find their meals through their sense of smell.

Having no pectoral fins, they resemble snakes, but they also lack scales. There are many species of moray, including the honeycomb moray (the largest) and the geometric moray (the most common).

These eels open and close their mouths in order to breathe, moving water over their gills. In doing so they often show their sharp, vicious-looking teeth. Morays have been known to inflict bites if they feel threatened.

Cleaner shrimps and cleaner wrasses are commonly found around the larger moray eels, ridding them of parasites.

See the leopard moray and the geometric moray on a reef in southern Mozambique in the Earth-Touch clip, Morays and their minions.