Morays live primarily in saltwater, though there are some species that can be found in brackish and freshwater.Īnd if you were wondering, Morays have been documented tying themselves into knots to create leverage to pull prey out of crevices.įemale Morays lay the eggs and the male fertilizes them. Grouper, barracuda, sharks, and humans are common predators of moray eels. Morays have few predators, and the larger species are often the apex predators in their ecosystems. And if it’s scared by the Moray, the grouper gets it. If their prey is scared by the grouper, the Moray gets it. the Moray will leave its den and join the grouper on the hunt. To initiate the team-up, grouper fish will find a giant Moray and shake its head. Giant Moray eels, on the other hand, live in coral, and their prey heads to open water to escape them. Groupers are open water hunters and their prey hides from them in coral. The giant Moray Eel has been observed teaming up with grouper and other fish on hunts. Cleverly, Morays have developed openings on either side of their large mouth, which allows for water to move through their mouths and prevent wave generation.īut Morays don’t only ambush, sometimes they chase. But these lunges generate waves which can displace their prey, moving them out of their range. Morays are primarily ambushed hunters, lunging at prey as they pass by. This strategy is due to the fact that they’re nocturnal and to see in the dark while underwater requires a certain visual awareness that Morays lack. They rely primarily on chemoreception to catch prey. Morays have very poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell. They do not have swim bladders and are therefore not the best creatures for maintaining buoyancy. With their large sharp teeth, this makes them look aggressive when in fact they’re not. They do this to control a flow of oxygen-rich water to pass their gills, which are located next to their mouths. One of the Morays typical behaviours that don’t help their creepy reputation is their constant opening and closing of their mouths. However, this may not always be a friendly encounter. They usually prefer to stay alone, but it’s not uncommon to see two or more Moray Eels together. Moray Eels are surprisingly shy creatures that spend most of the daytime in crevices of rocks, coral or other parts of the reef.
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