Close Up with a Moray Eel

Razor sharp teeth line the mouth of this white mouth moray eel. Many divers are threatened by this open mouth behavior of eels but if you do a little research you will know that eels open and close their mouth all the time to pump water over their gills. Often mistaken for sea snakes, eels like this one are actually a kind of fish. Their dorsal fin extends all the way down their back and they use gills to breath oxygen in water. Every once in a while a free diver has their hand sliced open by a lightning fast moray eel bite. After seeing these close ups I am extra glad that it hasn't happened to me!



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