Creature Feature – Moray Eel
This week on Creature Feature Friday we take a look at the Moray eel.
Today’s Creature Feature is a Good Friday special, featuring a species famous for residing in the waters that surround Easter Island. Easter Island hosts seven species of this family of eels.
There are approximately 200 species (belonging to 15 genera) of eel. Almost all are exclusively marine but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few can even be found in fresh water. Did you know? Eels are actually a type of fish!
Taxonomy
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Anguilliformes
Family: Muraenidae
© WiseOceans
Moray Eel Fact File
Size: Species vary in length, from 10cm to over 3m!
Distribution: Moray eels can be found worldwide but are most commonly found in tropical and temperate waters
Diet: Moray eels are carnivorous – they ambush prey as it passes by. Prey includes fish, molluscs and crustaceans
Behaviour: Morays are often seen by divers in the shallow reefs surrounding the island.
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Easter island, like many locations worldwide are suffering from a decrease in fish populations, mostly due to overfishing and as moray eels depend on healthy coral reefs to feed and evade predators, the survival of reefs is paramount
