A Moray Eel Has a Second Set of Jaws
A moray is a long-bodied eel of tropical reefs. It has an extra pair of jaws in its throat that reach forward to seize prey.
A moray is a long-bodied eel found mainly on tropical reefs. It has a second set of jaws deep in its throat, called *pharyngeal jaws*, which shoot forward into the mouth to grip prey and drag it back. Most fish swallow by sucking water, which a moray cannot do in its narrow burrow, so it evolved a mechanical solution instead. The constant opening and closing of its mouth is breathing, not aggression.
- A reef eel. *A green moray.*
- Pharyngeal jaws — its second set. *Pharyngeal jaws.*
- Eel — its wider group. *An eel.*
- Reef — its habitat. *A coral reef.*
- Latin — *muraena*, a sea eel. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | moray | A moray. |
| Plural | morays | Two morays. |
| Compound | moray eel | A moray eel. |
| Latin | muraena | A sea eel. |
| Greek | muraina | An eel. |
- A moray peered from the crevice.Diving.
- Its second jaws pull prey down the throat.Anatomy.
- The open mouth is breathing.Behaviour.
How the second jaws work
- Most fish create suction to draw prey in
- A moray in a burrow cannot generate that suction
- Its pharyngeal jaws launch forward from the throat
- They grip the prey and pull it back to be swallowed
- Described in 2007 in a study that filmed the mechanism
Portuguese *moréia*, from Latin *muraena*, from Greek *muraina*, a sea eel.
Why does a moray keep opening its mouth?
It is breathing. Water must pass over the gills, and the moray does this by opening and closing its jaws.
What are pharyngeal jaws?
A second set of jaws in the throat that move forward to grip prey and pull it back for swallowing.