![]() In addition to the presence of pharyngeal jaws, morays' mouth openings extend far back into the head, compared to fish which feed using suction. Moray eels are the only known animals that use pharyngeal jaws to actively capture and restrain prey in this way. When feeding, morays launch these jaws into the mouth cavity, where they grasp prey and transport it into the throat. The pharyngeal jaws of morays are located farther back in the head and closely resemble the oral jaws (complete with tiny "teeth"). ![]() Their small, circular gills, located on the flanks far posterior to the mouth, require the moray to maintain a gap to facilitate respiration. This allows sand granules to adhere to the sides of their burrows in sand-dwelling morays, thus making the walls of the burrow more permanent due to the glycosylation of mucins in mucus. They have much thicker skin and high densities of goblet cells in the epidermis that allows mucus to be produced at a higher rate than in other eel species. Morays secrete a protective mucus over their smooth, scaleless skin, which in some species contains a toxin. A relatively small number of species, for example the snowflake moray ( Echidna nebulosa) and zebra moray ( Gymnomuraena zebra), primarily feed on crustaceans and other hard-shelled animals, and they have blunt, molar-like teeth suitable for crushing. Most possess large teeth used to tear flesh or grasp slippery prey. Their jaws are wide, framing a protruding snout. In some species, the inside of the mouth is also patterned. Their eyes are rather small morays rely mostly on their highly developed sense of smell, lying in wait to ambush prey. Most species lack pectoral and pelvic fins, adding to their serpentine appearance. The dorsal fin extends from just behind the head along the back and joins seamlessly with the caudal and anal fins. The English name, from the early 17th century, derives from Portuguese moréia, which itself derives from Latin mūrēna, in turn from Greek μύραινα code: ell promoted to code: el, muraina these are the Latin and Greek names of the Mediterranean moray. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are found in fresh water. ![]() Moray eels, or Muraenidae ( / ˈ m ɒr eɪ, m ə ˈ r eɪ/), are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |