Moray Eel

About the Moray Eel

They have a second set of jaws called pharyngeal jaws that shoot forward from their throat to pull prey into their throat - the only animal known to do this, similar to the creature in Alien. They constantly open and close their mouths, which looks threatening but is actually how they breathe. They are covered in a toxic mucus. They are nocturnal hunters with poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell. They cooperate with groupers for joint hunting - the grouper signals where prey is hiding. Over 200 species exist. Some species can survive out of water for 30 minutes. They can live 30+ years.