Moray eel fish was considered a delicacy by the ancient Romans. This creature has an elongated body and coloring that helps it blend into its environment. It is equipped with an additional pair of jaws, which it uses to bite. Despite the fact that moray eel is considered edible, eating some of its species can be harmful to health. The interesting shape and potential danger associated with this fish make it quite attractive.
Description of the fish
The moray eel family consists of sixteen genera and more than two hundred species, all of which belong to the eel order. Much attention has been paid to the giant moray eel, which can be toxic if eaten.
Moray eels are often mistakenly thought to be snakes because they resemble them in appearance. However, moray eels are members of the ray-finned fish family, while snakes belong to the category of reptiles and require atmospheric air to breathe. Moray eels, unlike snakes, are able to constantly live in water and breathe oxygen obtained from it.
The confusion becomes even greater because moray eels live in shallow water and are able to glide on land for some time using cutaneous respiration. Despite their similarities in physical appearance and movement, snakes and moray eels are different species.
The giant moray eel is one of the most aggressive species in the family. It looks even scarier as it grows in size; some of these individuals reach lengths of up to three meters or more. This species usually lives alone, so it is rare to see a group of these large snake-like fish.
Moray eels should not be considered friendly. She is capable of rushing and biting if she senses a threat. This doesn't happen often, but it's not wise to deliberately provoke this fish. Remember that you should not put your bare hands into any crevices, as there are predators with sharp teeth lurking there who will certainly treat you unkindly.
In the past, moray eels were thought to be poisonous. This idea was based on the idea that when a fish bites into the wound, poison is released, like poisonous snakes. However, this theory was never proven, since moray eels had no glands to produce poison.
Whether moray eels are dangerous to humans or not depends on the situation.Cases have been recorded of these fish biting the hands of people who were dismantling fish on land. But then they reacted to movement, the smell of fish, and probably believed that the hand was an octopus (which moray eels simply love to eat).
It is known that sharks sometimes attack surfers while they are floating on a board in a supine position. Due to poor visibility, surfers resemble turtles, a common food for sharks. Likewise, moray eels, with their poor eyesight, are more likely to misidentify objects than to deliberately attack people.
Moray eels also become aggressive if disturbed during mating. This can occur when divers, either accidentally or on purpose, interfere with their courtship activities, resulting in violent hostility from the fish.
Examples of close and safe interaction with moray eels were observed; some daredevils even taught them to eat from human hands. However, it is unwise to try to grab such fish, because it is very dangerous due to their sharp teeth that can pierce any glove. If a fish grabs your hand with its jaws, it will be very difficult to free yourself.
The bite can be extremely painful and sometimes requires medical attention to avoid dangerous consequences, especially if the bite site is deep enough to allow mucus or dirt to enter the wound. Even a minor wound should be treated quickly to stop any risk of infection. As a rule, standard antiseptics are sufficient for such injuries. However, after a bite, it is still recommended to consult a medical specialist.
Appearance
These fish are similar in appearance to their eel relatives, but have a larger and more menacing snout. Their body is long and sinuous, a result of the increase in the number of vertebrae over time.Instead of scales, they are covered in protective mucus, which allows them to fit into tight spaces and protects them from danger and injury when they catch their prey. Coloration varies from brownish-greenish, yellowish shades, white, blue shades and black. They often have spots (like leopards), markings (merle) or stripes (zebra). Patterns are even found on the inside of their mouths.
The dorsal fin of moray eels stretches from head to tail and is quite noticeable, which makes it possible not to mistake this fish for a snake. But there are some species in which this dorsal fin is almost invisible. In addition, pectoral and ventral fins are usually absent. The eyes of these fish are quite small, and their vision is not very developed. However, they have an exceptional sense of smell, which helps them find prey at night or when visibility is poor. The nostrils are sometimes formed into tubes that mimic worms, acting as bait for prey.
Moray eels have small gills, located far from the mouth. This hole is always open, it is necessary to pump water to the gills. The large size of their mouth allows them to easily swallow even large prey. Depending on the species' diet, they have either sharp or blunt teeth. Sharp ones are for slippery prey, dull ones are for hard-shelled crustaceans. The size of moray eels varies among species, but some weigh up to fifty kilograms.
Moray eels have an unusual jaw structure. In addition to the standard jaws, they have a movable pharyngeal jaw located at the back of the mouth. When they catch prey, the inner jaws extend forward to help them grasp the prey, and then a second set of jaws pull back to pull the meal down their throats.
This special method of dragging food into the stomach compensates for the lack of the ability of moray eels to create low pressure in the mouth, which means they cannot swallow like other fish do. On the other hand, their double jaw helps them hold prey more firmly in their mouth.
Habitat
Moray lives in all seas except the Arctic Ocean; it is also found in Mediterranean waters and the Red Sea. Most species exist in salt water, but some survive in fresh water.
Moray eels prefer warm water, living mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Some species have adapted to the cool temperatures of temperate climates.
Coral reefs are the preferred habitat for moray eels. They lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle and hide in rock cracks and among corals during the day. These fish often peek out from their hiding places and move their heads from side to side, trying to smell potential prey. At night, this dangerous inhabitant of the deep leaves its shelter to pursue prey.
Diet
These predators feed not only on fish, but also crustaceans, octopuses (they especially love them), sea urchins and stars, squid and other living creatures that they can catch. In addition, smaller brethren also become prey.
Moray eels are known for their swiftness in attacking prey, usually catching it by surprise. They swallow fish whole, but larger prey, such as octopuses, which cannot fit into the mouth at once, are swallowed in pieces.
Moray eels and coral groupers sometimes hunt together. The process goes like this: the coral snapper discovers prey that is hidden among the corals and is inaccessible to it. Then he looks for the moray eel and nods his head to indicate the location of the victim. The bottom predator grabs food and then shares it with its “finder” fish.
Scavenger fish and shrimp will take care of the leftovers of the meal. The latter help remove dirt from the skin of moray eels and even clean their teeth.
Natural enemies
Moray eels, especially the larger varieties, have virtually no enemies in their natural habitat. It is worth remembering that they sometimes grow more than 3 meters in length. Occasionally they engage in fights with small sharks, and usually emerge victorious.
Reproduction method
Moray eels are believed to have hermaphroditism—that is, they have the ability to be both male and female at different points in their lives. However, two fish are required to reproduce. During spawning, fish intertwine with each other. The eggs are released into shallow water and left to float freely in the water. The fertilized eggs will then be carried away by the current.
The lifespan of moray eels varies greatly. In aquariums, their life usually does not last long compared to their natural habitat, where their life span is much longer. For example, giant moray eels live up to 35 years or more in the wild.
Popular types
There are more than two hundred species of moray eels. However, the most popular ones are those that are eaten, are brightly colored and/or kept in aquariums.
Freshwater
This species is able to survive for long periods of time in desalinated water, but brackish water is more suitable for its habitat.In the wild it is usually quite small, reaching up to 55 cm in length, while in captivity it grows to only half that size. Its coloration is greyish-brown and it prefers warm habitats. Its lifespan reaches 25-35 years, depending on the conditions in which it exists. However, it is completely non-toxic to humans.
Tiger
The tiger reef eel (the second name of the species) is distinguished by its yellow and black color. It is easily found in warm Pacific waters. It is also found in the Indian Ocean. Its habitat is mainly coral reefs.
Golden
This species is often found in fish aquariums and stands out for its beautiful honey-yellow hue. When kept in captivity, it reaches a size of more than fifty centimeters.
Black
It has a black-violet hue with small spots several shades lighter. This species lives in the subtropical waters of the Atlantic and reaches a meter in length.
Green
This species is found off the American coast in Atlantic waters. The color varies from shades of green to brownish, and the mucus is yellowish. This is a fairly large creature, measuring about two meters in length.
Leopard print
The coloration of the leopard fish is almost identical to that of the leopard, hence its name. This is a fairly large fish and can be easily found in coastal waters near Japan and the eastern part of the African continent.
Mediterranean
This creature is sometimes called the "Roman eel" and lives in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. It is distinguished by a dark color, in a grayish-brown range. It should not be confused with the leopard variety, as the latter has spots on the body.The Mediterranean species reaches one and a half meters in length and weighs about 13-18 kg. This moray eel is edible, and its skin is used to make beautiful and expensive products.
Is it possible to eat moray eel meat?
It is recommended to avoid eating moray eel meat unless you are sure of its safety and where the fish was caught, as there is a potential risk of contracting a disease called ciguatera.
In general, these fish are legal to eat. However, it is important to be careful when choosing the type of fish, as some species contain toxins that are dangerous to humans if ingested. For example, giant moray eels and yellow-spotted species accumulate ciguatoxins, which are poisonous to humans. Notably, these toxins are primarily found in the liver of these species.
It is noteworthy that this type of toxin is not unique to moray eels; it is also found in other reef-dwelling fish. The source of the toxin is a special algae that lives in coral reefs and is eaten by herbivorous fish before being eaten by predators such as conger eels and moray eels. Despite the danger it poses when ingested by humans, these toxins do not pose a problem for fish.
Ciguatoxin is not destroyed by heat, which means it will not be destroyed by normal cooking. After eating fish or other seafood containing ciguatoxin, people develop ciguatera disease, which is characterized by gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea and neurological symptoms such as sensitivity to light and numbness of the tongue. As a rule, the disease does not have long-term consequences.
