honeycomb moray eel

They cannot be kept in a reef tank as they will eat crustaceans and fish and are likely to push rocks over that are not well anchored.Alan Sutton is an underwater photographer and writer at Seaunseen.The Honeycomb moray eel is a light whitish brown to yellowish background color with dark brown honeycomb shaped spots. They wrap around the line and secrete a large amount of mucus and as a result the line has to be changed.

The Honeycomb moray eel is a light whitish brown to yellowish background color with dark brown honeycomb... HABITAT.

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The Honeycomb Moray Eel (Gymnothorax favagineus) is also referred to as the Tessellated or Tessellata Eel and is highly prized. Honeycomb moray eel Many people are frightened of eels because of they look and and move like snakes. They are nocturnal  hunters. The Honeycomb moray eels grow up to two meters in length making them a close contender in size for the largest moray. Additionally because of their size and speed of attack they can deliver a fearsome bite.When confronted with a prey too large to swallow the Honeycomb moray latches onto its prey. Honeycomb moray eels are widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific area from the eastern coast of Africa (including the Red Sea) to Papua New Guinea, and from south Japan to the Great Barrier Reef.Eels resemble snakes but are, in fact, fish. This provides considerable leverage for it to rip a large chunk out of its prey.Having personally been bitten by several of these eels while catching crayfish in Kwa-Zulu Natal, I can assure you they have a fearsome bite.The Honeycomb moray eel is found across the Indian ocean and in the west Pacific. They are found from two meters in depth down to 45 meters.The whitemouth moray eel is carnivorous, and does most of its hunting at night. They feed mainly on small fish and octopus but the fact that they are on occasion caught by fishermen using bait indicates that they will scavenge as well.Moray eels have a second set of toothed jaws in their throat called pharyngeal jaws. This means that weakened or dead creatures are the moray eel’s favored food.Studies have shown hermaphroditism in morays, some being sequential and others  synchronous which can reproduce with either sex. It generally has a white body coloration covered with brown spots of varying sizes covering the entire body. After every bite I have soaked the bite area in hot water as hot as I could take it. They are not aggressive but should be treated with caution because of their sharp teeth. I have personally seen one diver who lost the use of his thumb from a giant moray bite but that is unusual.Morays secrete mucus over their scaleless skin, which in some species contains toxins. These teeth are longer than those in the jaw and curve backwards.They do not have pectoral or pelvic fins and the dorsal fin runs the length of the body. Some researchers speculate that moray eels contain toxins in their mouths and are poisonous.From many years of catching crayfish on the Kwa Zulu Natal coast I have never had a bite go sceptic. Being one of the larger eels, the Tessalata Eel requires a 180 gallon or larger aquarium with numerous rock crevices for hiding and a secure, tight-fitting lid to discourage its escape.

The honeycomb moray’s long slender body has a white to yellowish base colour with numerous black spots covering the entire body. When feeding, morays latch onto the prey with their outer jaws. National Zoological Gardens.

It is commonly known as the honeycomb moray. Unlike mammals, spiders, snails and octopi have blue blood.

Most Moray Eels have additional rows of teeth on the top of their upper pallet and these can be clearly seen in the specimen below.Larger specimens of the Honeycomb moray are often trained by divers to take food from their hands. The Tessalata Eel, also known as the Honeycomb Moray Eel or Leopard Eel, has a light colored body and especially attractive, dark honeycomb markings. On the upper palate there is an additional row of teeth which assist in holding onto prey. The honeycomb moray eel is the second largest of all moray species and can reach a maximum of … The

The spots vary in size and shape depending on the individual and on the environment in which the animal lives.Honeycomb moray eels are preyed upon by other moray eels, groupers, barracudas, and sea snakes. All Rights Reserved. After posturing to each other they wrap their bodies around each other and simultaneously release sperm and eggs. In some species there may even be some yellow mixed in with the white between the spots. It simultaneously pulls its head back through the knot. Their main hunting tool is their excellent sense of smell which makes up for their poor eyesight. The mouth is proportionately wide with teeth designed for tearing flesh rather than grinding.