What is a Moray eel?
Despite their snake-like appearance, moray eels are actually fish. All moray eels have one long fin that extends from the head to the tail. Because it looks quite ferocious, the moray eel has long had a fearsome reputation. Roman legend tells of Nero throwing slaves into watery pits filled with moray eels so bored aristocrats could gain pleasure from seeing people eaten alive. While it is a reputation that moray eels find hard to live down, they are not aggressive animals and will attack only when threatened. At least 15 different species live in north-western Australia. What does it look like: A moray eel has a long, slender, snake-like body, combined with a large set of jaws. Most species have long, sharp canine teeth but some do have low, nodular teeth. They are usually one to two metres long, though some species will reach up to three metres long and 30 centimetres in diameter. The colour varies from black to brownish-yellow with a pale underside. Where do they live? These creature
