Moray Eels | Stronger Jaws !!
How Extraordinary would it be to have an extra set of jaws !!
Moray eels are aquatic creatures & prey on smaller fish. There are about 200 species of these. They are Nocturnal and ambush predators. They have pectoral fins and pointy mouth which help them to easily change their directions, glide like a snake on muddy surface. They have poor eyesight and largely rely on chemoreception.
They have sharp, pointy teeth which help them to hold slippery fish. Moray eels have two sets of jaws. The one with the sharp pointy teeth and the other hidden in their mouths.
The second set of jaws, 'Pharyngeal Jaws' help in grabbing food alongside with the oral jaw, it grinds the food and also helps to pull the prey into their food pipes. The teeth on the Pharyngeal jaws are jigged at the edges and are bent backwards with gives them multiple folds of advantage over pulling or grabbing on to any of it's prey.
Moray eels also hunt with an another fish, 'Grouper Fish' (Symbiotic relationship). The Grouper fish are the intermediary predators of the oceans and more than often their prey hides from them in corals. Moray eels are long and slim and can fit into tiny entrances, places or any holes inaccessible to the Grouper fish, thus when they hunt together the Moray eels get the prey hiding in a secure place while the grouper fish chases the fish in open waters. This is a perfect and complete combination for hunting.
Also moray eels are covered in mucus. Special cells, called 'Goblet cells ' produces this mucus, this layer of mucus is thicker in some species than others. The layer of the mucus protects their skin from abrasion, i.e. when they move through/between the rocks the mucus prevents scratches and injuries to it's skin by avoiding rubbing of the skin to the hard and rough surfaces.
I hope that you enjoyed and learned something new today also help spread this blog encouraging me to write more and more simplified Zoology for you !!
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