Wolf eel pics
These genera fall into the two sub-families of Muraeninae and Uropterygiinae, which can be distinguished by the location of their fins. There are currently around 202 known species of moray eels, divided among 16 genera. Ī representative structure of the Uropterygiinae sub-class These morphological patterns carry over to teeth positioned on the pharyngeal jaw. Gymnomuraena zebra and genus Echidna) to consume crustaceans, while other piscivorous genera of Muraenidae have pointed jaws and longer teeth. Evolving separately multiple times within the Muraenidae family, short, rounded jaws and molar-like teeth allow durophagous eels (e.g. In at least one species, the California moray ( Gymnothorax mordax), teeth in the roof of the mouth are able to fold down as prey slides backwards, thus preventing the teeth from breaking and maintaining a hold on prey as it is transported to the throat.ĭiffering shapes of the jaw and teeth reflect the respective diets of different species of moray eel. Thus, aggressive predation is still possible even with reduced bite times. In the action of lunging at prey and biting down, water flows out the posterior side of the mouth opening, reducing waves in front of the eel which would otherwise displace prey. In addition to the presence of pharyngeal jaws, morays' mouth openings extend far back into the head, compared to fish which feed using suction. Moray eels are the only known animals that use pharyngeal jaws to actively capture and restrain prey in this way. When feeding, morays launch these jaws into the mouth cavity, where they grasp prey and transport it into the throat. The pharyngeal jaws of morays are located farther back in the head and closely resemble the oral jaws (complete with tiny "teeth").
![wolf eel pics wolf eel pics](https://www.oregonconservationstrategy.org/media/wolfeel_credit_Taylor_Frierson_460.jpg)
Their small, circular gills, located on the flanks far posterior to the mouth, require the moray to maintain a gap to facilitate respiration. This allows sand granules to adhere to the sides of their burrows in sand-dwelling morays, thus making the walls of the burrow more permanent due to the glycosylation of mucins in mucus.
#Wolf eel pics skin
They have much thicker skin and high densities of goblet cells in the epidermis that allows mucus to be produced at a higher rate than in other eel species.
![wolf eel pics wolf eel pics](https://www.vichighmarine.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Wolf4.jpg)
Morays secrete a protective mucus over their smooth, scaleless skin, which in some species contains a toxin.
![wolf eel pics wolf eel pics](https://images2.pics4learning.com/catalog/w/wolfeel.jpg)
A relatively small number of species, for example the snowflake moray ( Echidna nebulosa) and zebra moray ( Gymnomuraena zebra), primarily feed on crustaceans and other hard-shelled animals, and they have blunt, molar-like teeth suitable for crushing. Most possess large teeth used to tear flesh or grasp slippery prey. Their jaws are wide, framing a protruding snout. In some species, the inside of the mouth is also patterned. Their eyes are rather small morays rely mostly on their highly developed sense of smell, lying in wait to ambush prey. Most species lack pectoral and pelvic fins, adding to their serpentine appearance. The dorsal fin extends from just behind the head along the back and joins seamlessly with the caudal and anal fins.