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Moray Eel
Moray Eel Facts
| Kingdom: Five groups that classify all living things | Animalia |
| Phylum: A group of animals within the animal kingdom | Chordata |
| Class: A group of animals within a pylum | Actinopterygii |
| Order: A group of animals within a class | Anguilliformes |
| Family: A group of animals within an order | Muraenidae |
| Common Name: Most widely used name for this species | Moray Eel |
| Scientific Name: The name of the animal in science | Muraenidae |
| Origin: The area where the animal first came from | Tropical and temperate waters |
| Diet: What kind of foods the animal eats | Carnivore |
| Size: How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is | 11-400cm (4-157in) |
| Water Type: Either freshwater, brakish or salt | Salt |
| Optimum pH Level: The perfect acidity conditions for the animal | 5-7 |
| Lifespan: How long the animal lives for | 10-30 years |
| Conservation Status: The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct | Least Concern |
| Colour: The colour of the animal's coat or markings | Grey, Black, Brown, White, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange |
| Skin Type: The protective layer of the animal | Scales |
| Favourite Food: The preferred food of this animal | Fish |
| Habitat: The specific area where the animal lives | Coastal and deep waters |
| Average Clutch Size: The average number of eggs laid at once | 10,000 |
| Main Prey: The food that the animal gains energy from | Fish, Squid, Crustaceans |
| Predators: Other animals that hunt and eat the animal | Sharks, Humans, Barracuda |
| Special Features: Characteristics unique to this animal | Sharp teeth and elongated body |
Moray Eel Location
Moray Eel
The moray eel is a large species of eel found in warm and temperate waters all around the world. Despite their snake-like appearance, moray eels (along with other eel species) are in fact fish and not reptiles.Moray eels are found in both deep and shallow waters in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Although moray eels can be find in cooler waters occasionally, they tend to remain in the crevices deep in the ocean rather than venturing into shore. The largest populations of moray eels are found around tropical coral reefs where they are numerous different marine species found in large numbers.
There are around 200 different species of moray eel than can range in size from just 10cm long to nearly 2 meters in length. Despite their varying size and colour all moray eels are fairly similar in appearance with an elongated body, slightly flattened towards the tail. Moray eels also have large eyes and mouths which contain large teeth.
The moray eel is a relatively secretive animal, spending much of its time hiding in holes and crevices amongst the rocks and coral on the ocean floor. By spending the majority of their time hiding, moray eels are able to remain out of sight from predators and are also able to ambush any unsuspecting prey that passes.
Like many other large fish, the moray eel is a carnivorous animal surviving on a diet that consists of only meat. Fish, molluscs including squid and cuttlefish and crustaceans such as crabs are the main source of food for the moray eel.
The moray eel is often one of the most dominant predators within its environment but moray eels are hunting by some other animals including other large fish like grouper and barracuda, sharks and humans.
Moray eels tend to mate when the water is warmest towards the end of the summer. Moray eel fertilisation is oviparous, meaning that eggs and sperm are fertilised outside of the womb, in the surrounding water, which is known as spawning. More than 10,000 eggs can be released at a time, which develop into larvae and become part of the plankton. It can take up to year for the moray eel larvae to have grown big enough to swim down to the ocean floor to join the community below.
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First Published: 25th January 2010, Last Updated: 10th September 2018
1. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
2. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011]
3. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
4. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
5. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 25 Jan 2010]
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