Animals A-Z

ype of animal: Fish (Marine)
Habitat: Coastal waters and coral reefs in the western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.
Diet: Carnivores, feeding on fish, crustaceans, and octopuses.
Size: Up to 2.5 metres (8 feet) long and 14 kg (30 pounds).
Lifespan: Around 30 years in the wild.

• Not Actually Green: Although they appear green, the green moray eel’s body is actually brown. Their green colour comes from a yellowish mucus that covers their skin, providing protection from parasites and bacteria in their environment. This slime coating helps them glide smoothly through narrow crevices in coral reefs.
• Pharyngeal Jaws for Prey Capture: Like all moray eels, green morays have a second set of jaws known as pharyngeal jaws. These hidden jaws shoot forward to grip prey after it has been captured by the main jaws, ensuring nothing escapes once it’s caught. This adaptation allows them to tackle larger or slippery prey like fish and octopuses.
• Keen Sense of Smell: Green moray eels rely heavily on their sense of smell to hunt, as their eyesight is poor. At night, they emerge from their hiding spots to track down prey, using their long, muscular bodies to launch swift ambushes.
• Solitary and Territorial: Green morays are typically solitary creatures and highly territorial. They often inhabit a single crevice or cave within the reef, where they remain during the day, waiting for prey or defending their space from intruders.
• Important Reef Predators: As apex predators of the reef, green morays help maintain balance in marine ecosystems by controlling populations of smaller fish and crustaceans. Without them, these populations could grow unchecked, disrupting the delicate balance of the coral reef environment.