Moray Eels Codexery

Muraena

A genus of large, scaleless eels with formidable teeth.

Last updated

Muraena

Fernando Losada Rodríguez · via Wikipedia: Muraena · CC BY-SA 4.0

The mouth is wide with formidable, sharply pointed teeth that enable it to seize fish prey and inflict serious wounds.[1] Many species within this genus have smooth, scaleless skin that is decorated with a variety of bright colors.[2]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderAnguilliformes
  6. FamilyMuraenidae
  7. GenusMuraena

Named by Linnaeus, 1758

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Muraena (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Valid species
9
Family
Muraenidae
Type species
Muraena helena (Mediterranean moray)
Fossil species
Muraena saheliensis (latest Miocene, Algeria)

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

Most Muraena species lack pectoral and ventral fins, having instead a long fin running from the head along the back to the vent.[2] While certain tropical members of the Muraena genus can grow beyond 5 feet, the majority, including the Mediterranean moray, do not reach that size.[3] Any reported sightings of Muraena helena in Australia are probably mistaken.[3] Fishermen fear the genus because it will attack people who come near its hiding spots in shallow water.[1]

An extra set of grasping jaws, called a raptorial pharyngeal jaw, is found in the pharynx of at least one species, Muraena retifera.[1]

What the cited sources add

A 2007 Sydney Morning Herald article reports that high-speed videos of Muraena retifera feeding in a laboratory aquarium were recorded to study its jaws.[4] The same source describes the raptorial pharyngeal jaw as thrusting forward at lightning speed into the mouth, eliminating a prey's chance of escape from the first set of jaws.[4]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Muraena" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "For moray eels, two jaws better than one - Environment - smh.com.au", Sydney Morning Herald, 6 September 2007 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Muraena" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Muraena" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Smith, "Review of the moray eels (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) of the Red Sea, with description of a new species", Zootaxa, 2019-12-05, p. 1–87; Böhlke, "The moray eels of Australia and New Zealand, with the description of two new species (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae)", Records of the Australian Museum, 2001-05-09, p. 71–102 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "For moray eels, two jaws better than one - Environment - smh.com.au", Sydney Morning Herald, 6 September 2007. facts only, no text reused. smh.com.au

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Muraena (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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