Not a threat
It opens and closes its mouth all the time. It is not being fierce: that is how it pumps water over its gills.
Coral reef
Giant moray
Gymnothorax javanicus
A long, thick, snake-like fish, brown with darker spots, that lives in holes in the reef with its head poking out.
- Size
- Up to 3m long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans
Winds after you, mouth opening and closing. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Moray eel
Good to know
Six things about the moray eel
A second set of jaws
It has a second pair of jaws in its throat that shoot forward to pull prey down.
No scales
It has no scales. A thick coat of slime protects its skin as it slides through the reef.
Hunting by smell
Its eyesight is poor. It finds its food mainly by smell, mostly at night.
Hunting with a friend
Morays and groupers sometimes hunt together: the fish signals, and the eel goes into the cracks.
Tying a knot
It can tie its body in a knot to pull itself free, or to tear food apart.
The real thing
Photos of the moray eel
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Look into holes and under ledges on the reef for a head with a slowly gaping mouth. Do not put your hand in.
How to help
Morays are harmless if left alone. Feeding them for tourists makes them bold and gets people bitten.
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